Battles of History: the 58th Hunger Games
by WizardDemigodGladerGatekeeper
Summary: In his first year as President, Coriolanus Snow has a lot to prove. He wants to make these Games the best, but with the uprisings in the districts and the rebels on high alert, he has his work cut out for him. Broken tributes, gruesome deaths, insane mutts and a dangerous arena is what he promises. The tributes' agonized screams are sure to be the loudest. SYOT CLOSED!
1. Chapter 1

**Rayne Hale (25)- Head of Traps and Mutts, Assistant Gamemaker:**

I felt no shred of fear as I ascended in the elevator. Not one drop. No, the emotion that had me overtaken is worry. Not for my life, as many would be in this situation, but worried for my position.

Being summoned by the new President was not something that sent a warm feeling through oneself. However, I knew Coriolanus Snow wouldn't harm me. I mean, he needed to have a solid reason to harm someone, and I had done nothing to earn that. In fact, having someone as intelligent and clever as myself meant having a stark advantage on Snow's side.

No, the fact that had me worried is that he'd summoned _me._ Not Bruce Heathers, the Head Gamemaker. Me. The Head of Traps and Mutts and the assistant Gamemaker _to_ Heathers.

I mean, it wasn't exactly uncommon knowledge that I was far better than Heathers, especially in the intelligence department. But it was also true that he held a higher position, as much as I hated to admit it. He held more authority. Summoning me instead of him meant a direct blow to his ego. And at this moment, with uprisings here and there, a conflict between the President and Gamemaker wasn't something we could afford.

We'd succeeded in putting off the threat of last time. I felt a smirk cross my face as I remembered Thaddeus' expression when I shot him. Goodness, the poor boy didn't realize that in this world, the only thing that got anyone anywhere was power.

District Thirteen was alive and well. The Capitol had signed a Peace Treaty with them, promising non-aggression. However, last year, our previous President Campus Leor and Bruce had decided they wanted to destroy Thirteen's threat once and for all.

Last year, I had been the assistant Gamemaker to the Head of Traps and Mutts, and the Victor of the forty-eighth Hunger Games, Thaddeus Sheen. Thaddeus was known for his creative ideas and stealth attacks. Everyone knew I was just as good as him, if not better. But he occupied that position and held the trust of Heathers and Leor, just because he was a victor. So Heathers and Leor had asked Thaddeus to come up with a stealth attack on Thirteen. They'd planned on bio-chemical warfare, using a deadly virus called the Parasite, which basically destroyed your very being, until you were a pile of bones.

But Thaddeus had never truly been one of us. He couldn't bear with killing so many people. I personally never had any problem killing people to ensure my position was secure. But Thaddeus wasn't like that. He decided to go against the Capitol and formulate a plan with the President of Thirteen. It took some effort, but he succeeded in his plan.

Well, not before getting shot by yours truly. Thaddeus and I had been 'friends' since we were four, which meant twenty one years of friendship. Or so Thaddeus thought. I'd stopped giving a crap about what happened to him a long time ago. To me, ever since he'd won the Games, he was only a necessity to ensure I didn't lose my position in the Capitol. I turned on Thaddeus and managed to put two bullets into him before he escaped. The twit was still alive, unfortunately, and had taken refuge in Thirteen, along with a survivor of the Fifty-seventh Hunger Games.

They'd managed to evade the threat of the Parasite virus and draw up the peace treaty with us again. Not like I could care less. I didn't give anything to Thirteen as long as they didn't harm my position. To me, Power was everything. Hell, I didn't even care about the Capitol. The only thing that made me stick to their side was that they gave me power. And power was the only thing I cared about.

The door to the elevator opened and I stepped out, putting a confident stride in my step. My hells clicked as I walked down the hallway. As I stopped outside the door to the President's office, the Peacekeeper outside gave me a salute. I simply smirked and nodded. He didn't deserve my salute.

Before I could open the door, it opened from the inside, and someone almost bumped into me. The avox boy had been heading out, probably after serving Snow a cup of tea or something. I didn't really care. These low-lives shouldn't have been in my vicinity, forget almost bumping into me. I grabbed his collar and dug my nails into his flesh. I snarled straight at his face. "Next time this happens, you're being sent to the Torture Chamber. Or maybe I'll just kill you off, if I feel merciful. Got it?" I pushed him away as he nodded anxiously and sped away. I took a deep breath and straightened my skirt, aware that the President was watching me.

"Good afternoon, President Snow." I said in my most polite and formal voice. The only people to whom I acted nice were Heathers and Snow. And that too only so that they wouldn't demote me or something.

Snow smiled back from behind his mahogany desk. He looked young for his forty-five years, with a neat trimmed beard and striking gray eyes. He wore a formal teal suit, and sipped a cup of beverage. I walked over to him as I heard the Peacekeeper close the door behind me.

"Ah, Rayne, please sit." He motioned towards the chair in front of him. I gave him a sweet smile and followed his words.

"May I ask the reason for being summoned?" I asked. Snow laughed. "You say _summoned_ as though it's a bad thing. I've merely called you over for discussion." He corrected me.

He got up from his seat. "Rayne, as you know very well, this is my first year as President. Under my predecessor Leor, the Capitol got some of the best Games ever. Last year's Games broke all records." I nodded, conveying my agreement and telling him to go on.

"Rayne, as a new President, I not only have to keep a firm control over the country, but I also have to prove myself to the people. The people loved Leor, and accepting me after his sudden demise is hard." He said. I understood what he was saying. Leor had been killed by Thaddeus right before the latter had escaped. I grit my teeth, showing my mock anger at Leor's death. Now, why would I care about him? Jeez.

Snow smiled. "Rayne, I need to prove to the people I'm better than Leor." He said, looking straight at me. I nodded again, not quite sure where he was getting at. He walked two steps closer. "And do you know the best way to prove you're better than someone else?" I waited for him to continue.

"It's to take their most accomplished task, and prove you can do it better."

It dawned on me. "You mean giving them a Games that'll be even better than the fifty-seventh?" I asked, pretty much rhetorically. He nodded. I paused for a moment.

"Sir, with all due respect, why aren't you talking to Heathers?" I asked, even though I knew the answer. I just wanted to confirm. He sighed. "Heathers was very close to Leor. Not emotionally of course, but they did trust each other. Heathers doesn't trust me, nor do our mindsets match. Heathers is more about the blood and gore than he is about the beauty of the plan that caused it." He walked towards the table and clicked a button, sending a holographic image of a crude blueprint. I gasped as I realized what it was a blueprint of.

"Is that an arena plan?" I asked. Snlw smiled, obviously pleased, and nodded. "Absolutely. It is. Now you see, you, Rayne, are very similar to me. You have the intelligence and the mind set to be like me. So I wanted your help in perfecting this plan before I send it to the other Gamemakers." He stated.

I thought for a moment. Helping Snow meant gaining his favoritism. That meant I might be promoted to Head Gamemaker. Now, why would I turn away an opportunity like that? I smiled at Snow.

"Of course Sir. You have my full support." I assured. I pointed towards the beautiful arena plan. I had to admit, it really was incredible as I examined it. It would give us mlre scope for traps and mutts.

"And with that idea? Your plan of proving yourself better than Leor has a very high chance of being successful."

~.~.~.~

 **A/N: IT IS HERE. My SEQUEL.**

 **For anyone who's new, this is the sequel to my first story, the Ruins of Time. For the ones who already know of this, WELCOME BACK!**

 **Alrighty so, if you're new and slightly confused, do hit me up with a PM! I would love answering your questions! As you can see, this is a SYOT, and I'm very excited to get this thing underway. Please do submit tributes, and I will try to write for them as best as I can. I cannot promise to be the best author, but I can promise to try my utmost and hardest, and also to never give up on this. Please submit! I would love to see the amazing tributes y'all come up with!**

 **I don't have too many rules, but there are a few.**

 **1) Please, no Katniss copies, aka Mary-Sues. I know you amazing people will not do this, but this rule is pretty much a default in all SYOTs.**

 **2)** **Please be original with the personalities of the tributes. I have no doubt that you all will, but I needed to put this out there. :)**

 **3) I stink at romance, so though there will be a criteria, expect very less of it in this fic.**

 **4) I'll try to keep a balance of tribute's POVs, but I do need a few bloodbath tributes as well.**

 **5) You can definitely submit more than one tribute, but I will accept a maximum of three tributes from one person.**

 **6) Do review, if you submit a tribute. I won't kill off your tribute immediately if you don't review, but reviewing not only makes me EXTREMELY happy, but also gives me an idea of what the readers want, so I can incorporate it, or try to, into my story.**

 **7) This is not first-come first serve. However, if you do take the time to make and submit a tribute to my story, I will do my utmost to include you in it.**

 **I WILL ONLY ACCEPT SUBMISSIONS VIA PM. Unless you're a guest, in which case, you're most welcome to review. Also, YES I WILL ACCEPT GUEST SUBMISSIONS. One of my most amazing tributes last time was from a guest (RIP Dwayne...) so yes, I will**.

 **The deadline is the end of next week! I may extend it, but that's what it is as of now! :D**

 **Here's the form! It's on my profile as well! :D**

 **Name:**

 **Age:**

 **Gender:**

 **District: (Please give at least two back-ups)**

 **Appearance: (Please be descriptive)**

 **Faceclaim: (links or names, both will do. This is necessary because I will make a blog)**

 **Personality: (This is literally the most descriptive and important part. Please tell me as much as possible about your tribute)**

 **History: (Like personality, tell me as much as you can)**

 **Reaped/Volunteered:**

 **Reaction/Reason:**

 **Reaping outfit:**

 **Token:**

 **Family:**

 **Friends:**

 **Hobbies/skills:**

 **Preferred weapon:**

 **Likes:**

 **Dislikes:**

 **Strategy for training:**

 **Strategy for the Games:**

 **Interview angle:**

 **Strengths: (Another very important part. Please be reasonable, even though I know you awesome people will be :))**

 **Weaknessess: (Same as strengths)**

 **Preferred Score: (Changes might have to be made, but I will keep your thoughts in mind)**

 **Open to allies:**

 ***Open to romance: (Yes, I did actually add this. However, I stink royally at this, so there'll probably be relatively less of it)**

 ***Willing to kill?:**

 **How far do you think they'll go?: (this may be changed, and probably will be. My apologies in advance, but do understand...)**

 **Opinion of the Games and the Capitol:**

 **Preferred Death: (Again, this is very VERY prone to change. But I will try to keep your thoughts in mind)**

 **Quote: (Necessary for the blog):**

 **Worst Fear(s):**

 **Other:**

 **I know its long, but I really wanna know as much about these amazing tributes as possible! Thank you so much to everyone who's already submitted, and I hope to see more submissions! Happy submitting! Looking forward to seeing the amazing tributes y'all come up with!**

 **So, what did y'all think of Rayne? And what of Snow? What do you think is gonna happen? Was this chapter good? WILL YOU SUBMIT? :D**

 **There'll be probably one more prologue, from the last year's victor's POV or something, and then I'll start the Reapings! I'll wait until I have all the tributes, or at least most of them! This time I'll go in order!**

 **Though the updates might be slightly slower than last time, I'm never going to abandon this. I really hope y'all liked it! Do tell me your thoughts! :)))**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard.**


	2. The Victory Tour

**Colt Marshal (18)- Victor of the Fifty Seventh Hunger Games:**

I couldn't help but laugh at the expression my best friend Kaleb was making at me. "Dude, you've been looking at me like that for like, the past ten minutes. Are you sure I didn't just grow two heads or something? Why are you giving me that look!?" I asked, tilting my head his way. He shook his head and leaned down further in the couch adjacent to mine.

"Why in the name of all things holy are we sitting here right now to watch this? The only people who watch this again are the bloodthirsty careers, or someone's who's plain crazy. Now, given the fact that you're not the first one, I'm checking to see if I find any signs of 'plain crazy' in you." He replied. I laughed again. "Kaleb, I'm not crazy. And I just want to watch it, why do you have such a problem with that?"

"Because, Colt, no one, are you listening, _no one_ watches the recap of their victory tour. NO ONE! It brings back bad memories from what I figured, and I don't want to watch you go through that again!" He exclaimed. He wasn't quite so angry as he was confused. He didn't get why I wanted to watch this.

And if I'm being completely honest, I didn't either. I just knew I did. I wanted to watch the recap of my victory tour, because I wanted to see if I'd done it well, if I'd given the families the respect they deserved. I wanted to see how strong I could remain in that kind of stress.

I didn't want to dig a wound deeper, but I needed to see this. I had to. This was the last time they'd show the families of all the tributes, and this was the last time I'd feel any kind of connection to them. I didn't want to miss this.

The Games last year had thrown the Capitol's way the most bizarre of things. The final four, many people told me, was the weirdest combination. Lawson Dean, the boy from Two, who changed completely from a ruthless career to a caring, chivalrous and honorable human. Raymond Tate, the small twelve-year old from Five, who was probably the most surprising of all. Raymond had been quite possibly the most fiery and fierce kid I'd ever seen. I mean, he was one of the youngest tributes in the Games, and he had the highest number of kills. I flinched, remembering my last fight with him. He'd broken and dislocated my arm and stabbed me in a dozen places before getting pinned down by a tree.

Other than myself, the last of the four of us had been Dominique Noelle of District Seven. I could feel my jaw tighten as I thought about her. Nick was… indescribable. She was one of a kind, a whole new species on her own. She could make me laugh even when I was literally bleeding to death. She could fight an insane mutt while screaming sarcastic comments. She was stupidly rash, and had volunteered to save her crippled friend, and had in the end taken a poison knife for me. I'd never had a younger sibling, but I'd found it in her. In her and Nova Pines.

Nova had been my district partner. Well, she'd been less of a district partner and more of a sister. The two of us had allied in the trains itself, without even giving it much thought. We'd stuck together in training, but gotten separated in the bloodbath. That's when the girl from Two had attacked me, and Nick had saved my life. The latter and I had formed a temporary alliance, which had been broken when I found Nova again.

However, soon, due to a mutt attack, Nick, being the idiot she was, saved us, fighting off the mutts. I'd been bleeding from two huge gashes when that had happened, but had still managed to pretty much threaten Nick into staying with us. Not like I'd needed to, Nick wanted to stay as well.

Nick and I had been the final Two. I'd honestly never expected that. We had been attacked by a huge mutt, but just when we'd killed it, with its dying breath the mutt had run me through with claws made of burning hot stones. Now, let me just say: being run through is one thing. Being run through with burning hot and sharp claws is something else.

I'd thought I was a goner, until I realized that one knife I had thrown during the fight had landed in Nick's chest, accidentally. The two of us had received well-fatal wounds, and it was only a matter of who could outlast the other.

So we had just sat there. Leaning against two adjacent trees. In her last moments, Nick had pushed her token, a compass, into my hands. Her last words would never leave me.

"Find your way back home, will ya'?"

I'd passed out moments after being declared the Victor of the fifty-seventh Hunger Games.

"Well, it's starting." Kaleb's voice brought me back to reality from my string of thoughts. I sat up straight on my couch as Zippora, my girlfriend, plopped down next to me. She tossed Kaleb a bottle of juice and leaned her head against my shoulder. I smiled and put an arm around her.

I'd had a small crush on her since forever. Never had I been able to muster up the courage to tell her, but after the Games, she told me she liked me, and, well, I wasn't one to have a problem with that. Kaleb never stopped trying to convince us of having a chocolate cake for our wedding, usually earning glares from the two of our red faces.

"Are you going to be okay?" Zippora asked. I smiled at her. "Yeah. Trust me Zippora, if I could get through the real thing, a recap won't do anything." I stated. However, now that the thing was actually starting, I could feel my palms become a little sweaty. Kaleb snorted. "Well, I still think you're stupid." He told me.

"Aw, thank you." I snapped back. But I wasn't really angry. Or even annoyed. This was our regular routine.

The ceremony started, with Caesar Flickerman giving his speech. On the screen behind him showed a huge picture of the arena we had been in; the ruins of the city of Pompeii. Just like the original city, there had been a converging ring of lava around us. By the time I won, the lava ring was so small, it barely gave me space to lie down.

I drowned out his speech of the Games, but my ears perked up as the seal of Panem filled the screen. The victory tour was starting.

The first district up was District One. I saw myself on T.V, mount the stage, wearing a suit studded with dark red gems. The tributes, Regina Anna Pasternack and Almiro Fitzroy had been unique people. Regina was a reaped girl, who stayed to herself. However, Almiro was probably one of the kindest people I knew. He had a code of honor, and he hadn't broken it even once. He wasn't a sadistic murderer, and was the most modest person I'd ever met.

I cleared my throat into the microphone as I looked at the families. Well, family. Only Regina's family was present. Almiro's… well, that was another story altogether.

"Regina Anna Pasternack was a very unique tribute, very different from the usual girls from this district. She was a strong person, who wanted to achieve what she did by herself, not at the mercy of anyone else. She was determined and courageous." I looked down at my cards. I couldn't have gotten myself to say anything more about her. She'd betrayed Nova, and though she hadn't been a bad person from what I could tell, I could never forgive her for that.

"Almiro Fitzroy was a very honorable and skilled career, and from what I saw in the Games, he was the anchor of the alliance. He was brave and noble, and he, for that, will always hold my respect. Though I never had much of an interaction with him, simply seeing what he did in the Games was enough to earn my respect."

I exchanged a look with Kaleb as they showed the mayor walk onto the stage to end the ceremony. Giving a eulogy for someone you knew was alive was a tad weird. Yes, Almiro was alive. That was one hell of a long story…

As I watched myself walk onto the stage in district Two, I couldn't help feel a little strange inside. There had been something strange about that district. They had treated me well, but their behavior had been tinged with a sort of anger. However, the anger hadn't exactly been directed towards me. I didn't know what they were angry at, but I couldn't figure it out either.

Siobhan's family stared ahead with stone hard expressions, while the podium for Lawson's family was empty. His Father had been the Head Peacekeeper, and his mother, the mayor. Everyone could see how she got a slight bit choked up as she said her son's name in the fallen tributes, then invited me onstage.

"Siobhan had been a really fierce and brave fighter. I speak from experience, and she was very skilled, with quite a few weapons. She made her place in the hearts of everyone in the Capitol with her talents, and she will always be remembered." I sighed. What else could I have said for the girl who had tried to kill me, and had been taken out pretty early by Raymond Tate, the boy she'd tried to kill?

Lawson was a different story, though. I closed my eyes for a moment before speaking. "Lawson Dean is someone who will forever hold my respect. When I first met him in the training centre, I'd thought he would be one of the usual careers. But he was so much more than that. He changed through the Games, as he befriended little Lisette from District Six. Their friendship was unlikely, but it also brought out Lawson's human side. I hadn't had many interactions with him, but the only time I met him, he'd thrown down his weapon and refused to fight my ally and me. He had let us go, and that is something I will never forget. He was honorable and will always be remembered for his personality."

The next District, Three, had been slightly awkward for me. I hadn't had any interactions whatsoever with the tributes, and both of them had died pretty early on. Isaac had been the first death in the Games, while Gigabyte had made it past the bloodbath to die soon afterward. Her family was in tears, while Isaac's family was holding their crying little son, Isaac's younger brother.

"Gigabyte and Isaac had been two of the youngest tributes in these Games. I hadn't had the privilege of ever talking to them, but I knew for a fact they were good kids. Isaac was intelligent and a sweet boy, who showed me how to be confident and believe in yourself, despite what people said. Gigabyte was a very different girl. She only wanted to be remembered, by all. And now, to her family, I tell you, she will be remembered as the brave fiery girl from Three." Somehow that hadn't felt like a lie. I wasn't about to forget Gigi or Isaac anytime soon.

District four, though easier than some of the other districts, had been difficult all the same. I hadn't known either Kyle or Anna very well, but I had met Kyle very briefly. He had placed fifth, losing to his rival Lawson in a deadly and fierce fight. The two of them had had it out for each other since the very beginning, but in the end had grown to respect each other instead of hate.

Kyle and Anna, well, everyone had known about them. It was evident in the looks they stole, the fleeting smiles they shared. The two had fallen for each other, but it hadn't ended well. Kyle had been drugged into a murderous frenzy, and he'd unknowingly killed Anna, stabbing her right in the chest. Just before she died, though, they shared their first and last kiss.

Kyle's family had many kids, ranging from a toddler to a girl my age. I knew he'd gone into the Games to win the money for his family. Anna's family only had her parents and her brother. Her mother was crying, much like a lot of Kyle's family.

"Kai and Anna were two people who showed us how to stay together in even the harshest of times. Though reaped, Anna had been skilled. She had been brave in her own ways, and gone farther than many had given her credit for. Kyle had been, like Lawson, a very honorable person. He had been the most chivalrous person out there, and he will be respected for that. The two of them found love where it seemed impossible, and they will always be remembered."

District Five, the home of the victor of the fifty-sixth Hunger Games, Dane Evans, had been quite difficult. I hadn't known Frankie very well, but I knew she had been a spitfire and very brave. Raymond, however, I had known. We'd met only once, during which I stabbed a knife into his leg and he had broken and dislocated my shoulder. However, despite that, I still respected him for being so young and making it so far.

"Frankie-Leight Voltz was not someone anybody would want to mess with. I never talked to her, but I had heard of her being as outspoken as one could be. She, like a few others, had been a spitfire, but she was a brave volunteer. Raymond…" My voice trailed off. "He was unimaginably brave. He was fierce and determined, so much so, that he made it to the final four, in spite of being of such a young age. He had the highest number of kills, which was unheard of from a twelve-year old. One thing I can say is, Raymond and Frankie will not be forgotten soon, for they set records that aren't exactly easy to beat."

District Six had been pretty much like their tributes. Sweet and warm. The people had been very kind to me, but their kindness seemed to have an undertone of sadness. I didn't really blame them. They hadn't had a victor in quite some time, and their only living one had died just the previous year.

There hadn't really been much to say for Otto, because I barely knew him. He had been a bloodbath, and even before that, I hadn't had much interaction with him. Lisette though, everyone knew, even I did. Everyone knew of her unlikely friendship with Lawson dean. The small, quiet and shy girl from Six, and the big bad career from Two. But Lisette had been what had changed Lawson so much. He had been different around this little girl.

"Otto Freight had been a really sweet boy, who, despite of his young age, had won over many hearts in the Capitol. I never got the chance to talk to him, but he really was a good boy. Lisette Osborn, will always be remembered for how she changed Lawson Dean. She was young, innocent and pure, but she held more bravery inside of her than many others. It takes strength to change someone's personality, and she had brought out the kinder side in the biggest and most dangerous tribute in our Games."

I closed my eyes as they stopped the footage, for a commercial break. I thanked the stars for this, because I needed a moment to prepare myself for District Seven.

Nick's District.

Zippora squeezed my hand, giving me a concerned look. "We can stop it here if you want…" she offered. I took a deep breath. District Seven hadn't been easy at all. Hell, it had probably been the toughest. "Colt, you really don't-" I cut Kaleb off mid-sentence.

"No, I'm fine." I said, opening my eyes and giving them what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "It's okay, I'm alright." I turned the object in my right hand as my friends gazed at the screen once more. The compass Nick had given me. I'd unknowingly taken it out, but it wasn't surprising. I carried it everywhere. It felt as though I still had a bit of her with me.

One could see me shaking as I mounted the stage. Absalom's family was only his parents, who seemed to be made of stone, with their expressions. Nick's family consisted of her mother, who was sobbing hysterically, her father who consoled his wife, and her elder brother, Flint. I noticed now why she kept saying I reminded her of Flint. The two of us looked quite similar, with our spiky brown hair and childish features, though he probably looked a few dozen times smarter. Seeing her mother break down had almost sapped my strength, and I could see myself faltering on national television. But someone I had managed to hold it together.

"Absalom Sawyer had been a very intelligent guy, because after all, not many people can make turning away the careers seem logical. He'd had his entire strategy for the Games thought out, from what I could tell, and had always been skilled. His last words will always ring in my ears." I stopped, drawing in a huge and visible breath.

"Nick Noelle was someone no amount of words can describe. Nothing I have put on these cards can ever describe that girl. She hadn't just been my ally. She'd been the annoying little sister I never had. She could make me crack up in the deadliest moments, and she could put a smile on just about anyone's face. Heck, I was half surprised the mutts didn't start laughing when she fought them. Our alliance had started out temporary, but in the end, it had proved to be more permanent than imaginable. Nick had shown me the true meaning of bravery, sacrifice and friendship. I hadn't known her for too long, but it had been enough for our friendship to solidify. She was pretty much the bravest person I had ever had the pleasure of knowing and…" My voice broke. I could see my eyes glisten with tears as I sniffed. A wry chuckle escaped my throat. "I won't ever forget her last words. She'd told me to find my way back home. Nick, wherever you are now, even though I know you can't hear me, I just… I just wanted you to know that I did. I did find my way back home."

My eyes stung with tears as the scene changed to the logo of district Eight. As the mayor of the said district began his speech, Zippora put her hand on my shoulder, and gave me a smile. I couldn't really make out what she felt, but it seemed somewhere close to pride. Even Kaleb was beaming at me with tears in his eyes (which he was very obviously trying to hide).

I honestly didn't even know how and what I managed to say in District Eight. I never knew either tribute, and there hadn't been much good to say about them. Bellona had been kind of stuck-up, and had been in the career alliance. She was the daughter of two victors, but her pride had been her downfall. She had been killed in the bloodbath itself. The boy, Ruben, had been a full blown sadistic psychopath, who'd tried multiple times to torture Anna of District Four, but had ended up being killed by the same girl.

"Um, Ruben had been…" I searched for a word of praise. "Well, he had been skilled. And… brave." I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Bellona had also been brave, because not many outer district tributes could make it into the career alliance. She had been very skilled, and she will be remembered." I finished my very awkward speech.

District Nine hadn't been any different. While the tributes hadn't been as strange as Eight, I had next to zero interactions with both of them, which made it almost impossible for me to say something. Hartley had been somewhat depressed, but a good fellow from what I could tell. I had briefly talked with him, and that was to settle a conflict between him and Nova. Avena had been another spitfire girl who had allied with sweet little Evangeline Scott of district Twelve. Neither had made it too far though…

"Avena had been a really smart and courageous girl, and she extolled confidence in herself. She was strong, both mentally and physically, and she showed us that everyone could find friendship in unlikely places. Hartley was not someone I had talked to very much, but he had been a strong tribute. They will both be remembered."

Since Ten was my district, they'd skipped it. Eleven was a calm place, but it was line with fear. Fear evident on the faces of every person standing there. The Peacekeepers had been cold and ruthless, shoving me around here and there. Their tributes, however, had been quite the opposite. April had been a strong girl, but she had let her temper get the best of her, leading to her death in the bloodbath. I felt my throat go dry as I remembered Dwayne. He had been poisoned by Raymond, and had confronted me when he was almost dead. We'd fought like devils, and even though he had been more skilled, the poison had been destroying him from inside. In the end, he had begged me to end it for him. Which I had.

"April Smith made a big first impression on us because volunteering for one's sister at the young age of thirteen is almost unheard of. She was very outspoken and straightforward, and strong. Much more so than her age, which is something to be credited for. Dwayne… He was another picture of bravery. He was highly skilled, much more than me, and had dragged it out. And it takes some serious amount of bravery to ask me for what he did. And for that, he will always have my respect."

I was sweating hard as District Twelve's symbol came up on the screen. Watching this hadn't been as hard as I'd thought, but it hadn't been easy either, seeing all the weeping families again.

I didn't need to be told to respect the tributes of District Twelve. Evangeline Scott, though merely twelve years old, had been a really kind little girl. She had been naïve, but she hadn't been weak. She died at the hands of a mutt, but he had fought very hard. And Blake Coleman was worthy of praise. Skilled with a knife, he had made it till the seventh place. He had been so injured by his fight with Absalom, that he had lost to Lawson Dean. However, he had put up a great fight.

"Evangeline and Blake were some of the most memorable tributes from this district. Eva had been a model of innocence and childishness, but she had also been strong and level-headed. She put up a great fight, and a sweet child like her didn't deserve this. Blake Coleman is someone I look up to. He, hailing from an underestimated district, captured many hearts in the Capitol with his words. He was the anchor of their alliance, and he'd put up a brave fight even to a trained career like Lawson Dean."

I took a deep breath as Kaleb reached out and switched off the television. For a moment, none of us said anything.

"Wow." Kaleb broke the silence. I looked at him. "I have no idea how to reply to that, except to be honored that you find me worthy of that word." I said, somewhat sarcastically. Kaleb grinned at me. "Now lookie here. My apprentice is learning the fine art of sarcasm. You're making progress, but there is much to learn."

"Colt?" Zippora asked, turning me to face her. I smiled. "I'm fine. Trust me." She gave me a look and I sighed, my smile dropping. These two could see through anything I said. "It's just that... all those people. They didn't desere this. This is all just because the Capitol wants some entertainment. Kyle had a whole family to support, April had an unstable sister, and Blake's family probably needed that money!" I rubbed my face. "God, I sound like a wreck." I laughed devoid of any humor.

"Yeah, the Capitol are a bunch of idiots. Especially the people known as the Gamemakers. That's kinda why we joined the rebellion Colt. To stop the Capitol from killing even more people than they always do." Kaleb stated, sitting up to face me.

"And Colt, even though Nova couldn't make it back, see what you did for her family! If she could see them now, she would be happy." Zippora told me. I nodded, absorbing her words. I wanted to believe that. I really did. After my Games, I had insisted that her family move into my older house, now that I had moved into the Victor's village. At first her family had been confused as to how to react to me, because I had killed Nova.

She had been drugged, much like Kyle, and had gone insane and attacked me. She'd given me multiple wounds, but just before she threw her knife into me, I had accidentally thrown a knife at her. It had been purely impulsive, but the damage had been done. However, her family finally came to the conclusion that they didn't blame me. They agreed to move into my older house, and I had gotten her elder brothers two well-secured jobs. After all, being a victor had its perks.

"Colt, are you ready for this year?" Zippora asked. I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, ready for this year?"

She huffed in a worried manner. "I mean the mentoring Colt. You'll have to mentor this year." She reminded me.

My breath hitched in my throat as I came to the startling realization. I had to train people to gp through the Hunger Games. The same Games that had almost shattered me. I had to actually advise people on how to depend on other's death to get home.

"Hey, look at me." Zippora said, as she place a hand on my cheek. "You got through the Games, right? You'll get through mentoring. Who knows, maybe you'll actually bring back a tribute. And you'll have Kimi to help you, so don't worry. You'll do fine. I know you will." She said. She pulled me closer and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips.

I pulled away and smiled. "Thanks Zippora. I don't know about what I will do, but I sure as hell will try." I declared, more to myself than the others.

"Aww, you two are so sweet you make a chocolatr cake seem sour. Speaking of chocolate cakes, that should totally be the flavor of the cake at your wedding." Kaleb interjected. I laughed, turning to face him. "Dude, that's the millionth time you've said that."

He shrugged. "Well, I do love cake." He said. Zippora stepped up with an amused smile on her face. She weaved her fingers through mine, and Kaleb, noticing, gave me the see-what-I-mean-you-guys-are-adorable-now-promise-me-my-chocolate-cake look. I simply laughed again and punched his shoulder, as the two lf them joined me.

Whoever said friends could make any day brighter had been one smart cookie.

~.~.~.

 **A/N: YES. I HAVE THE TRIBUTE LIST. HERE IT IS. THE FINAL TRIBUTE LIST.**

 **Tributes** :

 **District One:**

Levi Fenton

Cira Dupont

 **District Two:**

Cyrus Lavelle

Vanessa Valkyrie

 **District Three:**

Keith Digit

Cordin Arc

 **District Four:**

Felix Phantom

Sailor Graceland

 **District Five:**

Ryder Sparks

Thea Lockheart

 **District Six:**

Porter Latz

Dandi Derino

 **District Seven:**

Gideon Yeh

Mackenzie Dupree

 **District Eight:**

Daxen "Dax" Whales

Lacey Rollag

 **District Nine:**

Russell Grove

Rose Clarke

 **District Ten:**

Raul Silvus

Aviva Stark

 **District Eleven:**

Caz Rigby

Twyla Cherry

 **District Twelve:**

Jerry Mines

Cherokee Esmeths

 **This is the final tribute list. I cannot apologize enough if your tribute wasn't selected. Every single submission had been amazing, without exception. But I had about 29 unique submitters and there are only 24 spots. If I didn't take your tribute, it doesn't mean they weren't Awesome. They all were. These were simply the ones I thought would go together really well and would be good for the plot. Once again truly sorry. I tried to include as many people as possible, but I'm so sorry if I couldn't include you. I hope you guys can forgive me, and still resd the story.**

 **That being said, to the people whlse tributes I have taken, I'm so sory for not taking your other submissions. I wanted to give the most people a chance, and I had to limit most submissions to one per person. These were the ones I found fitting to the story.**

 **Also, GOOD LORD. I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW MUCH SUPPORT THIS STORY HAS GOTTEN. LIKE 20 REVIEWS ON THE FIRST CHAPTER OMG YOU GUYS. YOUZE DE BEST OKIZ? DE BEST.**

 **Do keep reviewing. Reviews not only fill my heart with melted chocolate, but it also tells me what y'all wanna see and how I can improve. I love hearing from you guys, I can't even.**

 **So, which one of these tribute names were your favorites, other than your own? And which ones were your least favorites? And which one sounded... victor-esque?**

 **Also, COLT IS HERE. YAY! For the people who've read the first part, how did I write him? For the people who are new... what did you think of the victor of the 57th Hunger Games?**

 **Also, feel free to tell me how I can improve!**

 **I know I have some loose ends in this chapter, especially about the rebellion, but that will be cleared very soon! We'll meet our rebels sooner than y'all think! Next chapter will be the District One Reapings, and that'll probably be out next saturday. This story will have slower updates compared to Ruins of Time, but (and y'all are probably sick of me saying this lol) but I will NEVER give up on this. EVER. The updates should be weekly, but I'll try as often as I can. :)**

 **I have made the tribute blog, and its almost complete! It should be out day after tomorrow or something, so do tell me what you thought of it! I worked hard, so hopefully its good! If you could do a blod review along with your review to the next chapter, that would be epic! :D**

 **Right, enough of my babbling. Shush it Wizard. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If you skipped to the bottom for the tribute list, it would be awesome if you could also read the chapter ;) Not that I blame you, I would've probably done the same. But yeah, do read the chapter and lemme know what you thought! Like I said, I love hearing from y'all! :D**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard.**


	3. District One Reapings

**District One**

 **Reapings:**

* * *

 **Levi Fenton(18)- D1 Male:**

I swung my pike straight at the trainer, aiming for his chest. Had he not been wearing padding, I would've delivered a pretty deep gash. Nevertheless, I still managed to slice a decent looking opening in the pad, sending the trainer stumbling back. I smiled at him and set down the weapon.

He laughed and removed his helmet, setting it down on the floor next to him. I offered him a hand to help him up, and he took it, proceeding to giving me a pat on the back. "Dang, Levi, I've never seen someone use that weapon with so much ferocity before. Chase, did you teach him?" he called over to where my best friend Chase was currently teaching a twelve-year old how to swing a sword to defend himself. Chase heard him and smirked, leaving the kid for a moment to walk over to us. She wrapped an arm around me and laughed. "Nope. I only taught him the ferocious bit. The weapon is a natural skill." She declared.

"Honestly though, how do you even use something like that?" The trainer asked, taking off his pad as he spoke. I shrugged. "This seemed to be the only one that was comfortable. But you have to admit, at least I don't use a weapon bewildering enough as that crossbow Cira uses." I put in, glancing towards Cira Dupont, one of the most skilled and intelligent girls in our year. She had her crossbow poised at the target, but caught us smiling and waved. I waved back, only to have someone huff behind us. I turned to see Tamara McCarthy standing there, looking smug in all her spoilt-brat glory.

"Bewildering is correct. How do you even use crap like that?" she sneered. "Maybe it's just to honor that friend you had, what was her name? Well, not that I care, but I do feel bad for you sweetie. It must be hard, watching the person that killed her about to volunteer." She stepped closer to Cira, who was frozen in her spot. Her eyes were slightly red, and I could see her trying to control it.

I stepped forward to say something, but Chase held me back. She gave me a look that clearly meant this wasn't my fight to be involved in. I knew Chase was right, but I couldn't help feel bad for Cira. I didn't know much about their history, but Imogen had been the volunteer for last year, until Tamara, being the spoilt brat she is, asked for a final duel. Tamara 'accidentally' stabbed a knife into Imogen's heart, killing her instantly. What had been worse was that she hadn't even volunteered. She'd withheld, because of some crappy enmity with the girl that had been reaped, Regina Anna.

I looked at the entrance to the training centre as Tamara and Cira seemed to be about to have a face-off, and caught sight of my best friend Arden. He smiled back, obviously waiting patiently. Chase and I exchanged glances and slowly backed away, the trainer already having gone his own way. I shot another glance towards the two girls as we walked over to Arden, and it seemed like Cira had said something right back to Tamara. I smirked. People like Tamara deserved it.

I greeted Arden with a hug, after setting down my pike on the stands. Chase shouted something to another trainer as he took her spot to help that kid she'd been teaching. "So, the new volunteer, huh?" Arden smirked as I nodded. He shook his head. "Well, let's hope you do better than last year's guy. Fitzroy was an amazing dude, but he was way too noble for killing. But still man, did I feel bad when he died. And that too because of that slimeball from Five." He muttered. I nodded my assent again as the two of us headed out of the training centre.

Chase and Arden were my best friends in the world. Arden and I had met relatively recently, but Chase and I had since I was thirteen. I may be a fairly well-liked person now, but it hadn't always been that way.

I used to be one of the people who was always bullied in school just because I didn't think it was stupid to cry. If someone hurt my feelings, tears would find their way down my cheeks. I would try my best to hide it, but I always found myself unsuccessful. Thus, a few of the older guys apparently thought it was funny if they beat me up, because it made me cry more. The more I cried, the more they did it.

I hadn't been since the beginning. I had always been a cheerful and sweet kid, according to what my mother told me. Always with a smile on my face, always ready for a laugh. That all changed when my mother found out the truth about my father.

Let's just say my father indulged in certain 'activities' with other ladies, which wasn't exactly something my mother would be proud of him for. His actions had been going on for quite a while, but my mother had obviously been oblivious to it. But when she'd found out, it hadn't only broken her heart, but also broken our family.

She'd cursed him for his infidelity and screamed all sorts of profanities. He had literally nothing to say in his defense, because my mother had been as loving a wife as possible. Unfortunately, the only fault in mother was that she couldn't provide my father with the recreation he wanted. I'd never felt so disgusted in my entire life.

Mother had kicked the guy out of the house that day, and we'd all thought he'd been gone from our lives. But even though I was happy that such a cruel and disgusting man was gone, it did mean a stark lack of a father figure in my life. Mother tried hard, but being a guy, sometimes I really needed a Father's help to guide me.

With that deprivation, I became very shy and quiet, unsure of how to go about facing problems in school. Since I didn't know exactly how to deal with things, I would deal with them with the natural instinct, which was, crying. No one seemed to understand that, though. They simply thought I was a crybaby and picked on me as much as possible. That's when I'd met Chase.

One evening, I'd been returning from some errands, and some older boys had found me in an alley. They ganged up on me, beating me practically senseless, just because they wanted the 'entertainment' of seeing me cry. Left alone in that alley, sobbing and writhing from my injuries, Chase had found me. She was two years older, and known in school for being the strong quiet girl who kept to herself but wouldn't tolerate any nonsense.

Chase taught me how to be strong. Despite of being a girl, she became the father I lacked. She taught me how to deal with people, and occasionally beat up the idiot who tried to pick on me. Gradually, I came out of my shy little shell, and began interacting with people. That's when not only did the people see who I was, but I saw myself for who I really was.

I'd trained since then, like Chase had told me to, and had become quite popular at the Centre. This year, I was the chosen volunteer, and though I had been slightly reluctant about it at first, after a lot of persuading, I'd caved.

I let my eyes travel around the district as the three of us walked. Suddenly, my gaze fell on a girl, and I froze in my tracks, my eyes widening. I tried to stop my heart from hammering its way out of my chest, as I kept staring at the girl.

The girl turned around, and disappointment crashed down on me. I'd thought for a second I had finally found her. I'd gotten my hopes up, only to have them dashed in a single moment.

"Panem to Levi, Panem to Levi, come in please." Chase waved her hand in front of my face, breaking me away from my thoughts. I turned towards her and laughed. "Sorry, just got lost in thought there." I explained. She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, no kidding genius." She remarked. "So lost, in fact, that you didn't even notice we've reached your place. Now, do you need help to make it to your room as well? Or can the two of us go?" She asked. I smirked and punched her shoulder lightly, realizing that we had in fact, reached my house. I waved good bye to them as I ascended the steps and opened the door. Mother never really kept it locked at this time.

"Mom, I'm going upstairs to get dressed!" I called out. "Alright sweetie!" My mother's soft voice called back from the kitchen. My mother was the most beautiful woman in this whole damn world. Not just because she was pretty, but because she was such a strong person. Even after losing my sister and Father, she'd raised me with all her efforts. She had been quite strict initially, but gradually become much more lenient.

My sister…

Shea and I had been close as humanly possible for siblings to be. A year younger than me, she was loving and sweet, and missed my father the most out of all of us. She'd missed him so much, that one day when she'd found him, she'd brought him back home, hoping to bring our family back together. But my Father hadn't changed. Him and Mother got into a huge argument, and this time when he left, Shea went with him.

The loss of them both once more, was a hard blow for my mother and I. Ever since then, every time I caught a glimpse of a girl with brown hair or some similar feature, I'd check to see if it was my sister. I'd searched everywhere, but had been unsuccessful. I missed her a lot, but was unable to find her.

I made my way up to my room and threw open the closet. I didn't want to wear something extremely fancy and distinguishing for the Reapings. Everyone knew I was going to volunteer, and there was no point in dressing up for an occasion which would send me to become a killer, or a corpse. Or maybe even both.

I fished out some dark blue jeans and threw them on, along with a baggy white T-shirt. I ruffled my already messy hair, sparing a mere glance at my reflection. I turned away and found a soft smile gracing my lips.

When I'd been small, people had pleasured themselves in picking on me, calling me names, beating me up. Sure, people had later on realized that I wasn't all that terrible a person, but they still laughed at my antics if I winced when hurt, or frowned if someone said something rude. They'd even bring up the old times, which wasn't exactly something that flattered me. They envied my skills at Training, and grabbed hold of every opportunity to remind me how I had once been.

So I would show them. I would show every single person who'd picked on me that I really was stronger than they thought, not just in training, but also as a person. And if I was completely honest, I was going to prove that same thing to myself too.

 **Cira Dupont(18)- D1 Female:**

I poised the crossbow and pulled the trigger. I felt a little jerk as the arrow shot out of the device I held but to my disappointment, I found it stuck in the second ring of the target. That wouldn't do. If I was going to volunteer, I couldn't afford to be slacking in my aim. I aimed again, closing one eye shut to focus. I drowned out the noises of the rest of the training centre. I drowned out my own exhaustion. I took a deep breath and pulled the trigger again.

The arrow made a cracking sound as it pierced the centre of the target.

I smiled, satisfied. Of course, this didn't mean I could relax. Only when I managed about five or six in a row, would I be satisfied. I poised again, but my eye caught someone looking at me, and I turned in their direction, noticing the male chosen volunteer for this year, Levi Fenton waving at me. I smiled and waved back.

Levi was a really nice guy. I didn't know him too much, but I did know him enough to know about how he got picked on as a kid. I myself wasn't the most popular kid, at all, but I never got picked on or bullied. People would just leave me alone. Levi, however, used to be a really sensitive boy, all the other 'thugs' made fun of him, called him a crybaby and other silly names. However, seemingly after meeting that Chase girl, he developed a whole new personality. Or maybe it was just his real personality showing itself. However, Levi became more confident, stronger and much more outgoing.

The same couldn't have been said for me.

"Bewildering is correct. How do you even use crap like that?" I could feel my insides clench in disgust and repulsion at the sound of her voice. If there was one person I truly loathed in this world, that one person would be Tamara McCarthy. She didn't hesitate to send people off to their deaths, and would go to extremes to get what she wanted. She was spoilt, obnoxious, heartless and a plain simply full-time professional jerk.

But I didn't just hate her for her behavior. I hated her for what she'd done to Imogen. If I could, I would send my next arrow right into her throat. But I wouldn't. Imogen wouldn't want me to.

I simply looked down at the bow, trying to control my anger as she stepped closer to me, her designer perfume from the capitol reeking. "Maybe it's just to honor that friend you had, what was her name? Well, not that I care, but I do feel bad for you sweetie. It must be hard, watching the person that killed her about to volunteer."

At this point, I was ready to take the pike from Levi's hands and chop her head off. But I forced myself to take a deep breath. I could see Levi take a step forward, and his friend holding him back. That was probably good. This wasn't Levi's fight. It was mine. I didn't want someone else fighting it for me. I waited for a moment, taking a few more breaths.

Imogen's face flashed in front of my eyes. Her cheerful way of handling things, the way she'd ruthlessly slaughter a dummy during training. The times she would be the only shoulder I had to cry on. My best friend. My only friend.

Tamara had stolen her from me.

Imogen had been last year's chosen volunteer, despite of being only seventeen. She beat out Tamara, and everyone knew Imogen had been far more skilled than Tamara. But Tamara was someone who was used to getting her way. She used her Father's money to somehow arrange a final duel between the two of them. Imogen may have been ruthless, but she wasn't a monster. She treated training like Training. Tamara, on the other hand, treated Training like the actual Games.

I still remembered how Imogen had thrown Tamara on the ground and stopped with her sword at her throat. How she'd stepped back, thinking the duel was over. How she'd turned her back to this witch. And how Tamara had gotten up and stabbed her right in the back, without even hesitating.

That day, I had been broken beyond repair. I had watched as Imogen had sunk to the ground, her mouth open in a final look of surprise. I had run forward and caught her, but there had been nothing I could've done. Tamara's blow had been a fatal one. Imogen, with her last words, had begged me to complete her dream. To do what she couldn't.

I had cried and cried, wailed my heart out, holding my best friend's corpse, but she was gone. The Peacekeepers arrested Tamara, but she was let out a few days later, just before the Reapings, because they thought she 'wasn't guilty'. We all knew her father had bribed them.

But what was worse was how Tamara didn't even volunteer that year. She let poor Regina Anna be reaped, because of some stupid vendetta against her. I'd liked Regina, and seeing her die in that gruesome way was heartbreaking, but I was already too broken.

I stepped closer to Tamara, my voice barely controlled. I was usually a calm person, but this monster got the best of me. "You don't deserve to even say her name." I spat out. Tamara smirked. "Aw, honey, I say what I want, when I want to. And I do what I want, when I want to. And this year, I want to volunteer. And that's what I'm going to do." she pouted, obviously thinking she'd won. I stared right at her.

"Well, I, for one, don't need to kill people to be worthy. I get what I want based on pure talent and skill. But since some of us lack in that department, we use our disgusting mindset and papa's money to get that. And really Tamara, I get your pain. I do." I said, patting her shoulder, my voice dripping with mock sympathy. She seemed taken aback, not knowing how to respond. I didn't wait to her loathsome voice anymore. I threw down the crossbow, and walked off towards the exit, leaving her speechless and stuttering.

I didn't even have it in me to smile. Of course, I didn't want to cry, but I just… I missed Imogen so badly.

I'd always been the shy and quiet girl who no one really knew anything about. I never got along with people, solely because no one seemed to be the type of people I would want to be friends with. Until I met Imogen. A spunky, spitfire girl, who was the complete opposite of me. She dreamed of volunteering for the Games, and winning. She wasn't sadistic, but could think up of twenty ways to kill someone within minutes. In fact, it was she who got me into volunteering. She'd gotten me out of my little shell, and that was never something I could forget. I idolized everything about her.

I walked as fast as I could towards my place and knocked on the door, waiting. My parents would usually be at the jewellery shop we owned, but today, they were home. My mother opened the door, and greeted me with a smile, which I returned before rushing to my room. I wasn't too bothered about looking pretty, I simply wanted to look presentable. I slid into a simple blue dress with light blue shoes, and brushed my hair into a messy ponytail. I wasn't the prettiest girl out there, but I was pretty decent looking, with my golden brown hair and brown eyes. My appearance was slightly different from the regular One girl, but I liked it.

I headed downstairs, fully aware of how late I was. I waved goodbye to my parents, and felt something wet against my toe. I bent down and petted my dog, Cotty. Cotty was honestly my first friend ever, even before Imogen. Of course, he was a dog, and didn't really qualify, but I loved him with my whole heart.

"I have to run, I'll see you guys there!" I called out to my parents, as I bounded out of the house. My place wasn't too far from the Reapings, but I didn't want to be late.

I found myself there just in time for the remnant of the line to have their finger pierced. I quickly got over that, and ran over to the eighteen year old girl's section, licking the blood off my finger. I didn't like the coppery taste at all, but I also didn't want it to smudge on my dress. My heart hammered in my ribs. This was the moment. I had to do this. I simply had to. Tamara would try and volunteer, but I wouldn't let her. I needed to volunteer.

Leevee, our escort, was a strange lady, but I liked her. She was better than most others. However, her speech was droned out by my blood pumping through my ears.

She held up the parchment of paper which held the girl's name.

"Evelynn Anders!"

"I VOLUNTEER!"

Tamara and I's voices rang out. I didn't waste a moment as I dashed towards the stage. However, Tamara had been standing closer and had a stark advantage. I could feel despair clutching at my sides. I put on a burst of speed.

Then the weirdest thing happened. A girl from the families section stuck out her foot as Tamara ran past them, tripping her. She fell facefirst, and I could tell from the satisfying crack that she'd broken her nose. Her cry of pain and anguish rang out as I reached the stage, triumphant. I let a huge smile grace my lips as I took the microphone from Leevee, who seemed a little shocked into silence.

"I'm Cira Dupont, and I'm your volunteer for this year! And I will win this, District One!" I yelled into it. The whole crowd burst into applause as I handed the device back to the escort, and watched Tamara being dragged away, screaming and punching. I caught sight of who had tripped her, and the name Maeve Callahan came to mind. Of course… Maeve had been Regina's girlfriend. Regina was dead because of Tamara. I shot her a thankful smile, and she returned a pained one.

I hadn't even noticed Leevee take a slip from the boy's bowl.

"Jacob Arkleson!"

The very expected "I Volunteer!" From Levi rang out moments later. I didn't even know who this Jacob bloke was, but Levi confidently stepped out of his section and walked up to the stage. His journey there was absolutely quiet, compared to my eventful one. I had to say, Levi was pretty good-looking, what with his sharp jawline, ruffled yet stylish brown hair, and ice blue eyes. However, I was pretty sure he didn't like girls. Well, too bad for the ones fawning over him in the eighteen year old section. He smiled kindly at the crowd.

"The name's Levi Fenton, District One! And all I need more is your best wishes, to win this thing!" He called out. Leevee smiled at the both of us, as we shook hands. Levi leaned in close and whispered "Quiet a show there. Can't say she didn't deserve it though."

I laughed as the two of us were escorted to the waiting rooms. I found myself in a bland room, surrounded by velvet covered walls, but I didn't have time to look at anything else, before my parents burst in. My mother was crying, but they were clearly tears of joy. My father looked awfully close to tears too. Cotty yipped in their hands.

"Oh Cira, I'm so proud of you!" Mother exclaimed, as she pulled me into a tight hug. I hugged her right back. "Now, you know what you have to do, you've trained well. I could see your potential in that mad dash you made. Just show that determination in those Games, and our daughter will come back a victor!" My father exclaimed. I laughed and refused to let tears come into my vision. My father kissed my forehead, and my mother pulled me into another hug.

I took Cotty into my hands and patted his fur. "Now Cotty, you take care of them, okay? If I come back, you'll be the first one to get a kiss, okay?" I purred, burying my face in his soft neck. I had said the 'if' very softly, so as to not have my parents hear me.

I mean, yes, I had trained. But was I ruthless enough for the Games? I shook my head, almost visibly. I couldn't afford these thoughts.

It seemed mere moments before the Peacekeeper was telling us our time was up. My family was pulled into one last hug as they walked out.

My next visitor was slightly unexpected. Maeve rushed in and grabbed my shoulders, embracing me. She pulled away briskly, and looked right into my eyes.

"Don't say thank you." She ordered, as I opened my mouth to do just that. "Please, just don't say thank you. I did it because I've seen you in training, and I've seen your potential. Tamara doesn't deserve anything good, but you can do this. I've heard about Imogen, and about what she did. You'll do it. You will make her proud. I know you will."

Before I even had time to respond, she quickly hugged me again and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Maeve may not have been someone I'd known, but she was right. I had trained. I had a goal. I was going to win this to avenge my best friend. I was going to win it for her.

For Imogen.

 **Levi Fenton(18)- D1 Male:**

"Goddamit Levi you totally walked up there like a boss!" Arden exclaimed as he and Chase found their way into the training room. Despite being a year younger than him, I was slightly taller than Arden. He gave me a fist bump as Chase smirked.

"That was some confidence there. Seems I have taught you well." She said in a teacher-like voice. I laughed and bowed down. "Yes master."

Arden turned to me with a serious expression. "You can do this, okay? I know you can." He said, in a manner which I didn't understand. I raised my eyebrow. "Arden, why do you sound like you're reassuring yourself?"

He sighed. "it's just…" he began. Chase completed it for him. "Don't lose yourself in there Levi. Don't turn into a monster. We're careers, and we do this to win. Don't become a sadistic psycho." She said. I smiled back at her. "Chase, you've taught me about ninety percent of what I know. And being strong and staying true is one of those things. I promise I won't let the Games change me."

Arden gave me a quizzical look. "You're not doing this just to win, are you?" He asked skeptically. I shook my head. "You know why I'm doing this. I want to show everyone who still think they can make me feel smaller by digging up my weak, younger self, that I'm much stronger than they think. I'm not the 'crybaby' they think they knew. This is the real me."

Chase patted my shoulder. "I'm proud of you Levi." She managed. For the first time, she seemed close to tearing up. Arden pulled me into a hug, and I hugged him back, trying not to feel as though this was the last time I'd be doing it.

A while ago, this would've been very awkward. Arden had quite possibly been my first crush. Yes, I liked guys, not girls. However, Arden wasn't like that, so it had been pretty awkward when he got to know. However, we both were over that, and hadn't let it affect our friendship. Chase too gave me a hug, before the Peacekeeper came barging in, to inform them of their time getting over.

My next visitor was obviously my mother. She smiled as she kissed my forehead. "You were wonderful out there Levi. I know you'll do me proud. In fact, I know you'll do the whole district proud. And if Shea was here, she'd be proud too." She said, stroking my hair. The mention of Shea made my heart sink slightly, but I didn't let that interfere in this moment with my mother. She strung a chain on my neck, the one I'd gotten on my fourteenth birthday, as a gift from her and Chase. She smiled. "Take this for your token."

I fingered it, looking at the silver surface. My mother hugged me, patting my back firmly. We simply stayed like that until the Peacekeeper came to inform us of her time being over. As she left, I found myself alone in the room. I pressed my hands firmly the the edge of the window.

I would do what I volunteered for. I would prove I had truly changed from that weakling they used to pick on. I would come back, to my mother and my friends. Or at least, I would try my hardest.

 **~.~. ~. ~**

 **A/N: OKAY I KNOW, THIS IS LATE AS BLOOP. And I'm sorry for that, I really am. I've been re all busy, will be really busy, but I will try to update weekly. Please don't hate me.**

 **THE REAPINGS ARE HERE! I would love to thank santiago. poncini20 for Cira and ElementalEvolution for Levi! These characters were a pleasure to write for and I tried to show as much of their personality and backstory as I could but it will be revealed even more as the story goes on. It'll probably be like that for everyone! I really REALLY hope I wrote these characters well, because they are amazing!**

 **So, The blog is up! YAY! If you haven't ready, it would be amazing if you could make a blog review or something, because I would love to know your thoughts! The address is on my profile, but it's battlesofhistoryhg. weebly. com and I hope it's good! :)**

 **So what did you think of these two? Any ideas as to how they'll do in the arena? What did and didn't you like about them? Do tell me your ideas and opinions, and suggestions! I love hearing from you guys so much!**

 **I simply can't believe the support this has gotten! I mean, 47 reviews!? YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST AND I LOVE READING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOUR REVIEWS! I seriously hope I write well enough, but do keep reviewing and telling me any way I can improve! Thank you all so much!**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard**.


	4. District Two Reapings

**District Two:**

 **Reapings:**

* * *

 **Warning: Alcohol usage, drinking, and mentions of drug use.**

* * *

 **Vanessa Valkyrie(18)-D2 Female:**

I sighed again, brushing the blonde strands of hair out of my face. "Listen lady, I've told you this as many times as possible, and given about five different explanations, with proof. It was your son who stole the necklace, and he did it to buy himself some…" I cleared my throat, not wanting to make it too hard for the lady's three-year old daughter. "supplies, if we put it lightly. I hope you understand, or should I give a more explicit explanation in front of that innocent daughter of yours?"

The lady went completely red, while my friend Krom smirked at me from behind her, as he leaned casually against the doorframe. "Well, you're accusing my son of a heinous crime, and I refuse to believe he tainted his innocent soul with all that monstrosity!" The lady exclaimed, standing up. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Yeah, fine whatever, don't listen to me about your son stealing your necklace to buy himself some drugs of the non-medicinal kind, don't ask him about it, or better yet, don't take him to the police. You can live in your happy little bubble, while he continues his addiction, and drowning himself in debt. You know what? I don't give a damn." I said, leaning back against my chair and putting both feet up on the table.

"Well, good afternoon then!" The lady exclaimed, grabbing her daughter's hand (the poor thing looked bewildered) and marching out of my office. I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply. But simply air wouldn't calm me down.

I reached forward and grabbed the bottle of whisky I kept on my table, and twisted the cap off. I took about three gulps of the substance before I felt my senses calming and a warm feeling taking me over. I could feel Krom's eyes on me.

"What?" I asked simply. I wasn't exactly in the mood to chat. I heard him laugh softly. "I keep wondering how you're still running this whole private detective business. I mean, how do you get customers with that attitude?"

I laughed, taking another gulp of the substance in the bottle. I was so used to drinking that it took me quite a while to get completely drunk. I grinned up at Krom. "The customers come here because Im the first and only private detective in this place who gets the damn job done and on time too. Plus I'm a genius, so that's gotta account for something."

Krom leaned forward and attempted to take the whisky bottle from my hands. I pulled it away and raised my eyebrow at him. "You're not gonna be having much of a functioning brain if you keep that up. And should you really be drinking on Reaping Day? The whole country's gonna see you when you volunteer. You sure you wanna be doing this?" He asked. I shrugged. "I've told you so many times. What people think matter about as much to me as rocks. And even rocks can be used to break stuff, so I guess they're slightly more important that public opinion."

But Krom was right. I should've probably given up drinking a long time ago. Staying sober was important for solving the cases which I got as a Private detective. However, I couldn't even think of giving this up. Even now, as I was about to volunteer for the Games, I had made it a point to convince my mentors to sponsor me some alcohol, or else I would have to live off the spirit in the medical kit.

But no matter how drunk I was on a case, people still came to me. Probably because I was the only Private Detective in this whole damn district.

I'd read about this concept in some old books, while I had been snooping around the library here in Two. I was naturally fond of spying around, learning secrets no one knew I had knowledge of, and when I'd read about this, a light bulb went off inside my head. If I could turn my spying into a business and actually earn from it, that sounded like the best idea ever.

So began my business as the first Private Detective of District Two. People loved the idea and came to me with petty issues like finding a missing person, or a missing belonging. Of course, I would handle nothing too large like a murder or a big-scale robbery, but small stuff I could do pretty well.

It was only a matter of time before people realized they liked the idea. They didn't like me.

But then again, it was hard to find another person who would do the job, so it always ended up on me. I'd dealt with some serious specimen here, and some cases… well they hadn't ended too brightly. I wasn't exactly a people's person, and I had a purely official relation with my customers. Emotions and all that crap held no value. I did my job, put the results straight and took my money. Sometimes the truth hurt.

I almost stood up, when there came a knock at the door to my office. Well, my office was basically just a run-down building, but it made do, so I wasn't complaining. I spent majority of my time spying around on other people while solving my cases, so it didn't really matter to me. Krom gave e an uneasy look, and I sighed nonchalantly. I wasn't about to take up a new case so close to the reapings, so whatever this guy had to offer, he was getting refused. I almost told Krom to stay put, but he being the soft-hearted idiot he was, opened the door and ushered the person inside.

It turned out to be a man in his early forties, clearly distressed from the way he kept fidgeting with his hands. He hadn't even bothered to take off his shoes. Rude. He was tracking mud all over my floor. I took a close look at him and sighed.

"You can't find someone, right? It's obvious from the way you fidget. You keep looking at Krom, whilst had you lost an artifact, you would be stealing glances at everything in this room. Since you keep looking at Krom and not me, I'm assuming a male is missing, quite possibly your son, or brother?"

The man's mouth fell open and I smirked, taking another swig of the bottle. I stood up, but this drink was strong. I could feel the world move a little around me for a moment before I regained myself. Krom shot me a concerned glance, but I just huffed at him. I looked at the man instead.

"Um, you're right." He stuttered. He ran a hand through his hair. "My son, Richard, he's missing. I've been looking for him since yesterday, but no one seems to have any idea where he is. I was hoping-"

I held up a hand and cut him off. "Hold up. You mean Richard Steele? The chosen volunteer for this year?" I asked, suspicious. He nodded. I felt realization dawn on me, and I knew for a fact that all hopes had been lost for his son. But right now, nor did I care, nor could I do anything.

"Well, sorry, but I can't help you." I said breezily, raising the bottle to my mouth once more. He stared t me awed, obviously surprised by the bottle. "But… he's y son! He could be in danger! He was supposed to volunteer this year!" The man was grasping at straws. I found myself giving a slight jerk of my shoulders. "Yeah, that may be. But right now, I don't really care. I'm the chosen female volunteer this year, and I have to get to the Reapings, which start in an hour, and I don't have time or energy to go out looking for your son. So, sorry, maybe you can talk to the Peacekeepers." I stated. I grinned at him and walked past him, straight out of my office. I didn't really bother about leaving him alone in there as Krom rushed out after me. There was nothing in my office he could steal. I made my way out onto the road, and started walking towards my house as Krom caught up to me. I stumbled a bit as I took another drink, but was otherwise unaffected by the liquid.

"Why'd you do that? You refused him." He asked. I looked at him. "Krom, I don't wanna be late for the Reapings, and certainly not for a customer. And I do what I want, choose whichever customer I want. I have an hour, and you really think I care about finding his son right now?"

Krom shook his head, clearly shocked. "Since when did you become so…" he paused, searching for a word. "Detached?" I supplied. I smiled. "I wasn't always. I've just been this way for about three years, ever since my whole family freaking died."

Krom seemed taken aback at how easily I'd tossed my family's death out there. It made my insides burn just to think about them. Seeing their faces made my heart ache. I didn't want to admit it, not to anyone, but I did miss them. I missed them a lot. My mother, my father, and my little brother. Haven had been so young…

It had been that stupid explosion. I'd always had a problem with their jobs. My parents worked as weapons testers in the factory. They had been testing a unique and newly made collection of explosive knives, but the knives had been faulty, along with their protective gear. I remembered watching my parents from outside of a door. I remembered how the explosion had made everything go red and blasted open the door that had thrown me to the side and claimed my little brother's life too.

I found it almost amusing that I had been the only one spared. I was hardly the kindest person from our family. Haven and my parents were always better people than me. So why had they been taken away? But that didn't irk me as much as the fact did that this happened to _me._

Out of all the people in District Two, freaking fate chose me. I'd heard of so many sad stories from watching the games. Why was mine included among them? Some people say I survived because I was chosen for great things ahead. I said that was all a load of bullshit.

Sure, I'd always been training, but after my family's death, I'd lost all the passion. I never believed in all the crap about glory and honor and pride for your district. The Capitol was a bunch of crackheads who had nothing else to do, and we were a bunch of idiots for trying to please them. I was sick of this. Sick of constantly hearing about how I was always destined for greatness.

Honestly, there was nothing here which I could use as a distraction from every sign that reminded me of my family. I still lived in that same house because I couldn't afford another place all by myself. I still ran into the people they would talk to. I needed a distraction. Something to move on with. The best solution?

The Hunger Games.

Don't get me wrong, I still thought the Capitol was stupid and the glory crap was, well, crap. But winning the Games meant moving to the victor's village, away from all these memories of my family. There was literally nothing here worth living for, but maybe winning the Games could give me another shot at life.

It had been after my family's demise that I had taken to drinking. Alcohol provided an escape for me, escape from all these memories that haunted my very dreams. I knew now why some victors took to drinking. But I had no problem with killing people. It was the innocent people who had died in my past who haunted me. Whisky was a solution. It made me temporarily forget, but it's effect was short-lived. Unless I drank it all the time. So that's what I did. People told me it was unsafe, they told me it was bad for me. I didn't give a damn about them. People's opinions had stopped mattering to me a long time ago.

"Are you going to take that wig off now? Gods, I don't even know why you wear it. Your hair is nice." Krom muttered. I smirked and took off my blonde wig, letting my natural brown hair down. Honestly, it was just like everything I did these days. Inexplicable, and only as a distraction. Anything which amused me, which made me laugh, I would find myself grasping at it. Even if it was something as stupid as a blonde wig.

"Vanessa, you have a look that says you know exactly what happened to that man's son." Krom remarked. I stopped and turned to him with a sigh. "I don't know for sure, but I do have an idea."

Krom's eyes widened. "What!? What do you think happened to him?" He asked, incredulous. I shrugged.

"He was probably taken by Cyrus Lavelle."

My friend narrowed his eyes at me. "Cyrus Lavelle? That druggie kid?" He asked. I smirked. "He rarely takes the drugs himself. He's more of the seller. And before you ask why I haven't gone to the Peacekeepers with this is because most of his customers are relatives of rich people, or young Peacekeepers themselves. And honestly Krom, I don't wanna spend the least amount of energy on some brats and Capitol Lapdogs."

"But Vanessa, if we go to them now, we can save the boy!" Krom protested. I shook my head, not really listening to him as I walked up the porch of my house. "Nope. If Cyrus took him, he's either dead or bleeding to death. Nothing we can do for him." I informed him. I heard Krom sigh behind me.

"Do you really not care what happens to him?" He asked. I turned to him once more with an extremely pointed look, which I knew got my point across even in my intoxicated state.

"Look, Krom. As long as it doesn't affect me, or you, I don't give an eff. Now, hold this key while I go upstairs and change."

 **Cyrus Lavelle(18)- D2 Male:**

I ran the knife under the chin of the boy that currently sat in front of me, his hands and legs tied up, his waist bound to the chair. Tears streamed down his face, and sweat glistened on his forehead. His mouth quivered, as I took in how afraid he was of me. Well, he should've been. I could turn this knife slightly and kill him instantly.

"Aw, are you scared, Richard? Well you should be, because I'm going to… well, kill you." I sneered, leaning away from him. He whimpered in his seat. God, how pathetic. And to think they thought he was an adequate volunteer for our district. I had no idea why they'd picked him over me, but it didn't matter. I was going to volunteer anyways.

"You want my spot?" He asked, his voice breaking in fear. I looked at him and smirked. "Correction, Ricky. I want the spot that was rightfully mine. I'm better than you and you know it. Just see how I've gotten you tied up and begging for life." I remarked. Another tear ran down his face.

"Please, please, just let me go. I swear I won't tell anyone about this, anyone at all. You can volunteer, and no one will know, just please, I beg of you, let me go." He pleaded. I pretended to think. "Yeah, no. That's not happening, man. Because you see, sparing you means leaving the secrecy of my little plan unaccounted for. And I hate leaving things unaccounted for." I stepped forward and smiled. "Can't have you telling anyone, now can we?" I rammed my fist straight into his temple, knocking the light out of his eyes. His head slumped to his side, unconscious, as I stood straight, breathing heavily.

I was no psychopathic sadist, but I wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone, especially to gain any personal benefit. I was supposed to be the volunteer for this year, but since the weapon I preferred was slightly different from the usual career weapons, and Ricky here could use tridents, knives and swords, they'd picked him over me. It was stupid, but it was true.

But not that it mattered anyway. I got what I wanted, like I always did. I didn't really care what had to do in order to achieve it. I could kill people, smuggle things, kidnap people, and do a lot worse to get what I wanted. And right now, I was doing just that. I needed Richard out of my way so I could volunteer without being asked or challenged.

I turned to the guy standing beside me. He was some rich dude, but I couldn't even remember his name. It didn't matter, all that mattered was that he was a customer for drugs, and now, I would use his addiction to my advantage.

"Hey, guy. You know what to do right?" I asked, taking out a gun and shoving it into his hands. He raised an eyebrow skeptically, but his eyes had the look which told you he'd been taking unpleasant things. "Why should I do this?" He asked, his words slurring. I sneered. No one talked back to me.

"Because if you don't, I'll stop your supply. One less customer means nothing to me, but no supply means a lot to you, doesn't it?" I snarled into his ear. He shivered, but it wasn't from fear. It was from the glee at thinking of his supply. He'd clearly been off of it for about a day or two. He smirked. "For that, Lavelle, I'll do anything." He looked at the knife in my hands. "I could make this fun, if you want me to." He proposed, reaching for the knife. I snatched it out of his reach. "Just make it quick. I asked you to kill him, not torture him."

With that, I turned on my heel and marched out of the tiny little room, as the guy walked closer to Richard. I had just come out, when I heard the satisfying sound of the gunshot. My last competitor was eliminated. And since I had had the other guy do it, even when and if the Peacekeepers found out and were jobless enough to arrest someone, they would take him. And even when I came back as Victor, they would obviously believe the word of a victor over some Druggie kid when I denied ever having contact with them.

I stopped, glancing towards the relatively smaller figure that waited for me outside the room. I softened my hard gaze just a tiny bit. "Mainca?" I asked, putting an arm on his shoulder. Mainca Beal was probably the only person whom I considered anything even close to a friend. He shuddered slightly, fear emanating from his demeanor. "You killed someone else. Cyrus, don't you feel anything when you kill them?" He asked.

"First off, I didn't kill him, I had someone else do it. And secondly, why should I? I was just getting rid of competition. Wasn't that what all those careers were doing when they killed my father? I'm ready to do whatever it takes to get what I want, and by now Mainca, you should know that." I said, my tone softer with him than with anyone else. Despite being only one year younger, he seemed so much less in that moment.

Flashes of my father's face burnt in front of my eyes. I could feel my blood boiling. I didn't want to admit it, and I never did to anyone, but I really did wish I could have one conversation with him. For everything I did, even if I could speak to him just once, I would be happy. I didn't even know why I cared about him when I'd never even met him.

My mother had been sixteen when she'd had me. My father had been two years older. Theirs was a simple story of love and cheer. My father wanted to win the Games to give my mother and their child the life they deserved. And everyone knew my father could. He was skilled in many different ways, and everyone knew Caelo Lavelle would win. Even in the Capitol, he was the charming and skilled male from the baddest career district, who won over the people's hearts.

But being like that put a huge target on his back. He was honorable and trusted his allies. But when it was time for the career bloodbath, they simply pounced on him, and killed him. They betrayed his trust and slaughtered him in the most gruesome way possible, literally tearing him to pieces.

Ever since then, my mother had been a mess. She'd had me a short while later, but though she loved me with her whole heart, she always felt the absence of my father, her true love. She hadn't ever even thought of remarrying.

For a while I was blissful and happy, like a kid should've been. But at the age of three, I began getting suspicious, and then my mother had no choice but to tell me the story of my father. That day, something changed in me. Something snapped. I lost all my cheer, and pretty much all my faith in people and emotions.

I pushed everyone away, and stayed by myself. But I never got picked on, oh no. When the first time a boy tried to bully me, when I had been thirteen, the boy was found later that week, dead in an alley, with a knife through his heart. I'd made my first kill, and found that it hadn't unsettled me in the slightest.

I never hesitated after that, to do what it took to get what I wanted. If it meant killing I would do that to succeed, and I always did. I was supposed to volunteer last year, but the idiot was the mayor's kid and had a load of protection. I'd failed to kill Lawson Dean, but had found it extremely satisfying when he'd died. That too so pathetically. He'd given up, like the wimp he was.

Well, I wasn't going to be like that, nor was I going to be like my father. The mentors would always doubt me, saying I would follow in my father's footsteps. I would shove it in their faces that I wouldn't. I wouldn't be a wimp like Lawson, and neither would I be blind like my father. He had been all about honor and chivalry. I wasn't going to make that mistake. Honor and chivalry had no place in this world. In here, you needed to snatch what you wanted, away from all the others. And that was exactly what I planned on doing.

"Your mother's okay with this?" Mainca asked meekly. I paused for a moment. "She keeps trying to convince me otherwise, but she's just like all the others. They think I'm going to fail just because my father did. Well, I' about to prove them all wrong, and if you wanna join their group, I'll prove you wrong too." I declared. He shook his head. "I believe in you Cyrus. It's just… I've seen you kill people. You're not exactly the nicest person out there, and you know that. I don't want the games turning you into a monster." He said. His next words were clear from the tone, but remained unsaid.

 _At least not more than you already are._

I glared at him. "Shut the hell up. Don't you know I always win? I'm ready to stab each and every one of my allies in the back if I have to, but I will win. I don't care if it turns me into a monster." I called back as I ascended the steps on my basement. Very rarely did I carry out any business in my own house, but this had been the place closest to where we'd kidnapped Richard. I threw open the basement door, only to find my mother waiting for me. She looked like she'd been crying, and I immediately found my hand reaching up to brush the strand of stray hair out of her face.

She sighed and clutched my hand tightly. "Cyrus, think again sweetheart, please. Just for me. All this you do, I've never been able to convince you against it. But I don't want to let you walk to your possible death." she muttered, her voice breaking. I hardened my look and roughly pulled back my arm.

"Mom, if you know me, you'll believe in me to win this thing. I'm not going to back out from this, and you know that. And my business gets us a large percentage of our money." I said curtly. "I'm getting late for the Reapings, so I'll see you there." I called out as I slipped on my shoes. I snuck a quick glance in the window at my reflection. I was wearing a black and white striped T-shirt with dark skinny jeans and a beanie that I knew read the name of my district on it. I had an intimidating appearance with my caramel skin and light brown hair. My ice blue eyes always held a glare to them, and my strong jawline only added to the look. However, that was just how I liked it.

I didn't even wait for Mainca as I headed out. He needed to assure that bloke in my basement of his supply before he came.

I was, as most people would say, the leader of the District two Mafia. And it was something I held high. Not the fact that I sold drugs and arms, but the fact that I could command anyone in my entire gang to carry out my desires, and they wouldn't have a choice.

I'd begun my gang at ten, and we'd cause mischief all around. Some were actually harmful. But as we got older, it started getting more serious. We started our smuggling business around five years later, and it was going well. We had a lot of customers, and more so for our arms business. I didn't care what I had to do. However, this brought me to another reason for my volunteering. My gang was at its peak now, but it wouldn't be that way always. And when it faded out, I didn't want to go with it.

Without realizing it, I found myself in front of the lady, holding out my hand to get my finger pricked. I barely felt any pain as the needle entered my skin. As I turned to walk away though, I wiped the blood off on some little kid's shirt, and when he turned to protest, I glared at him so hard, that he pretty much melted into the shadows. I smirked as I went to stand in the eighteen year old boy's section.

I loathed our escort Cinder. Her voice was too high-pitched and made me want to drive a knife through her throat. None of what she said even made sense. However, when she walked over to the boy's bowl and picked out a name, I perked up my ears.

"Lewis Kramer?"

The boy had barely stepped out of his section when I yelled out loud and clear "I Volunteer as Tribute!"

Everyone shot glances of various emotions towards me, but I ignored it all. None of them mattered. I strode up onto the platform and grabbed the microphone from Cinder. "The name's Cyrus Lavelle and that's all you're getting as of now from your future victor." I just about snarled into the device before shoving it back into Cinder's hands. She smiled uneasily. "Oh-kay, then… let's move to the girls, shall we?"

She picked out a name much faster than the boys. "Amalia Hayden?"

"I volunteer." A somewhat bored, yet confident voice rang out as a girl stepped out of the eighteen year old section. I was slightly jarred by her appearance. She wore completely black clothes. Even her nails were painted black, from what I could see as she came closer. Her dark brown hair was left open, but what shook me most were her eyes. The light blue iris was surrounded by the red-tinged whites. I knew that look. Did this girl just really come to the Reapings _drunk_?

I didn't know what to say as she stumbled slightly while making her way up the stairs, but catching herself. On one hand, I could tell right away from her rock hard expression that she was strong and determined, and had guts. She looked bored but intimidating, which extolled her career-like attitude. I could tell from the giggles that came from our mentor Shaunya that she'd already been liked. On the other hand, she was very clearly a drunk.

"Name, sweetie?" Cinder asked.

"Vanessa Valkyrie."

"Ooh, pretty name!" Cinder said before holding the microphone out again. Vanessa raised a brow. "That's it, okay? I ain't blabbering my entire life history, so get that out of my face before it gets shoved down your throat." She said, proceeding to ignore Cinder as she turned to me. As we leaned in to shake hands, I could smell her intoxicated breath, but it didn't stop her from grinning slyly at me.

"I know about Richard."

I froze as she extricated her hand from mine. However, I quickly gained composure and glared at her. "Does it look like I care?" I snarled. She smirked. "I don't either. Just gotta say, you've got some guts. I like that in a district partner." She responded as we were led to the Justice building. It took me a moment, but I returned her sly look. Well well well, looked like the main contenders for the title were right here. We would obviously take out the rest of the careers as soon as the chance came.

My mother and Mainca came together into the waiting room. My mother was sniffling, while Mainca looked concerned. "Sweetie, just… I couldn't stop you, but I can warn you. Be careful out there. Don't let down your guard even for a second. I don't want to lose you too." She managed.

I hesitated before pulling her in for a very short hug, barely wrapping my arms around her before I pulled away again. "Mom, you won't lose me. I promise okay? I already know this stuff. I won't make the same mistakes Dad made. Trust me, I'm much stronger, and I know this world for what it is. I'm going to win this thing, and I'm going to come back to you. To you both." I said, glancing towards Mainca. He probably didn't know, and I wasn't about to go around announcing it, but he did matter to me. Quite a lot. He was almost like my younger brother. He smiled sadly at me.

"I'm only going to say what I've already said. Don't turn into a monster in there. Win, definitely. But some back as a human, not a heartless beast."

I didn't know about that, but I would definitely come back. I wasn't my Father.

I knew what I was doing.

 **Vanessa Valkyrie(18)- D2 Female:**

"You walked onto the stage, in front of the entire nation, drunk. What can I even say, Vanessa?" Krom murmered as he came in through the door. I smiled sweetly at him. "Aw, so sweet of you to be totally concerned for my well-being. Just what I expect from my best friend." I put in. Krom rolled his eyes. "I'm your only friend Vanessa, and you know I care about you. Enough to believe that you have the potential to come back."

Even though it kind of stung, it was true. Krom was my only friend. Even though he was three years older, he understood me. Sure, he disapproved of my actions, but he was always there for me. Ever since I'd helped find his younger sister two years ago, he'd taken up the job of being my guardian, bodyguard, and friend. Not that I minded.

"Ah, damn it. Come here." he said as he pulled me into a hug. I'd rarely ever hugged anyone, and even Krom knew that. But right then, his embrace was comforting, encouraging, telling me he knew I had what it took to be a victor. I simply stayed there, which wasn't something I usually did.

"Vanessa, you have to try and reduce the drinking, it'll affect you in the Games." Krom warned as he pulled away. I set my lips in a firm line. "Krom, you know that isn't happening. I'm not giving it up, not for anything. I don't care if I have to live off the medical spirit, but I'll do it." I said. He looked down and nodded. "I didn't think I could convince you anyways. But just promise you'll be careful. Don't trust anyone, especially not that District partner. After what you told me, I'm wary of him. And you should be too." He advised. I laughed and nodded.

"Don't worry, I'm not about to go around trusting anyone. I'm gonna give this all I have Krom. I needed this as something to move on with, something to save me from all those memories of my parents and the boredom of this district."

And I truly meant what I said. The games would give me a new life, and I wasn't about to let that go easily.

~.~.~

 **A/N: YAAZ I IZ HEAAAA. HELLO EVERYBODY. WELL, I'M LIKE REALLY TIRED SO THIS IS GONNA BE SHORT, BUT YEAH. I'M SORRY IF THE UPDATE WAS LATE.**

 **Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter though! :D**

 **I'd like to thank Ripple237 and CreativeAJL for these two characters. They're both seriously interesting to write, and very different from any others I've written before. This hapter was kinda messed up, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same! And I hope I could write these characters well! :)**

 **So what did you guys think of these two? What do you think they'll do in the Games and/or The Capitol? What do you think will be the dynamic between the careers we've seen thus far? Lemme know your thoughts! :D**

 **Also, thanks so much for all your support guys, I can't tell you how much it means to me. Every review is just so amazing to read and y'all are seriously awesome. Hope this chapter was good!**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard**.


	5. District Three Reapings

**District Three:**

 **Reapings:**

 **Keith Digit (18)-D3 Male**

I flinched a bit as some paint flew onto my face from where my brush fell onto my palette, but I managed to swerve it away from the canvas. I didn't want a stupid slip of my hand to ruin what could potentially be a beautiful painting. I wiped it off and set to work again, barely registering my hand movements as it flew across the canvas.

The colors mixed on the white sheet, bringing another picture to life. To me, painting wasn't just a bunch of colors mixed together. It was the art they created. The message hidden within the strokes, the way each color played its own special part in making a scene what it was.

I stepped back to admire my work, and smiled. I may not have been the most skilled person to go around, but I wasn't afraid to admit that I did in fact have a knack for painting. I reached out and fixed a final stroke as I examined what I'd done.

It was nothing extraordinary, a simple scenery. Of course, living here in Three, one didn't get to see much scenery, unless we took into consideration the bland grey structures called factories. We weren't as devoid of vegetation as a few others, from what they showed on television, but we were nowhere near districts like Seven or Ten. My scenery consisted of a waterfall, which I had seen in a textbook at school. The water gushed down the falls and hit the ground with enough force to spring up a mist, which was the base for the formation of a rainbow. The rainbow was faint, but it was definitely there.

"My goodness, Keith, that'd beautiful…" I heard my mother's voice. I turned to her with a proud smile. "Where did you learn to paint like this?" she asked for the millionth time. She would always ask me this whenever I showed her my paintings. I always gave the same response.

"Most people here in Three are naturally talented with gadgets and electronics. I'm talented with paints and drawings. Is it really that big of a mystery?" I told her as my younger sister Kaira walked into my room, her eyes widening as she looked at the picture. "Holy Lord Keith, that's amazing!" She remarked. I laughed; her reaction was just the same as my mother's. The latter crossed her arms over her chest with a small smile.

"Sweetie, didn't you tell me you wanted to meet with your friends before the Reapings? If you want to do that, you must come down for breakfast, because we wouldn't want you to be late now, would we?" she patted my cheek and walked out my door, leaving only my sister and I. I grinned at her. "Kai, didn't you hear what Ma just said? I need to change, so you should probably-"

"What if I'd reaped!?" she burst out. I was taken slightly aback by her outburst, my sister was usually so calm and level-headed. "I mean, last year, a twelve year old was Reaped, and he got skewered, Keith! And the girl was… gods, I can't even think about it!" She buried her face in her hands.

I knelt down in front of her and gently pried her hands away from her face. I softened my gaze enough to give her what I hoped was a calming look. Reaching up and brushing the dark bangs away from her slightly red eyes, I put my hands on her shoulder.

"Look at me Kai. I'm not going to tell you you won't be Reaped, because there's no control we have over that. I'm going to tell you though, that the chances of it happening are very less. Your name is in there four times because of those tessarae you took, but four out of the huge population of Three are good enough odds. And whatever happens, I know my little sister. You can kick anyone's butt in the blink of an eye. I'd bet on you any day. You'll sneak around everywhere and bring home the title." I assured her. She seemed unsure for a moment.

"Are you serious?"

"Does it look like I'm not?" I answered. She searched y face for any signs of a lie, but found none. Satisfied, her face broke into a huge grin as she threw her arms around my neck. "Thanks Keith!" She exclaimed, as she pulled away. I laughed along with her as she slowly backed away and left me alone in my room after shutting the door. I stood up, the smile from my face not having faded.

Quickly, I selected a plain white T-shirt and a pair of dark jeans, and quickly threw them on. However, this T-shirt was sleeveless, exposing my bare arms. They were nothing special, pretty much skinny light colored arms, but what made them different were the jagged scars that ran down the whole length of my upper arms. I knew for a fact the scars were worse on my back. The skin had turned to a dark brown color, hinting at the fact that the wounds that had developed into these marks had been inflicted not too long ago.

I still shuddered at the memory. However, I had done nothing wrong, and I wasn't afraid to say that. I had simply tried to stop something wrong that was happening. This hadn't been my fault.

I had simply been walking down the path to the house around the corner of my street, heading for y daily tuitions. In Three, we didn't starve, but a little more money would never hurt. Added to the fact that I loved interacting with little kids, private tuitions were a pretty awesome Idea. There were not many, and all of them were elder than me, so needless to say, I had quite a few employers.

Anyways, as I had been heading there, I picked up the sounds of a child screaming. Horrified, I had run towards the sound, afraid of what I might find. When I got there, only horror awaited.

A peacekeeper had been beating a child of about five years, with an iron rod. He showed no remorse as he landed blow after blow on the poor thing's back. I looked closer to see his tiny hands clutching what seemed like a loaf of bread. His hands were grimy and dirty, and the bread was a mess of the child's blood and dirt, but he held onto it tightly. The Peacekeeper kept yelling at him, accusing him of stealing the bread, as the child only cried out for his innocence.

I didn't know what had come over me, but I had stepped in. I had grabbed the rod when the man was about to swing again, glowering into his mask. I'd never felt so angry in my life. It was one thing punishing people. It was another to beat a child so frail and small out in the middle of the streets. So what if he had stolen a loaf of bread? Whoever he must have stolen it from must've been very rich and could hoard breads.

However, naturally, this act of mine hadn't been very liked by the Peacekeeper. Three others had stepped in and carried me to the Whipping Post, a we in Three called it, and despite my thrashing and protests, I had been powerless against three grown men twice my size. They'd chained my hands to the pole as my back faced the Peacekeeper. He'd abandoned the rod and taken up a whip.

Every time I gazed at the scars, I would still feel the pain of the lacerations on my back, still feel the whip as it inflicted wound upon wound on me. I had screamed, but I hadn't given in. I had let each laceration add another load of anger into my heart, as I felt my hatred towards the Peacekeepers grow.

Sighing quietly I slipped on a hoodie. The dark blue color complimented my jeans, and contrasted my fair skin. I had thin, slanted eyes, with straight raven hair, which swept across my brow in a fringe. I had gentle features, which weren't exactly striking, but good looking in a somewhat childish way according to my parents. Satisfied with my appearance, I made my way downstairs, as my mother laid out the table.

I grinned upon seeing the fact that she had made my favorite breakfast for today: waffles with honey and a dash of cinnamon. I didn't even bother saying anything as I dug in, listening to Kaira laugh beside me. "Dang, Keith, you eat those things as though you haven't had a meal in ages…"

I shrugged. "Kai, I haven't had a meal in the past, well, roughly five hours. People tend to get hungry, yes?" I spoke with my mouth full, earning a disgusted look from my sister. My mother smiled. "Heavens know how you stay so thin after eating so much." She remarked.

"That's 'cause we keep him in shape Miss Digit!" A voice called out from the doorway. I looked to see my best friends Data and Calci walk through the door. Data marched up to me and picked up a waffle and began munching on it, while Calci just placed a hand on my shoulder. Data was the only one who could get away with taking my food.

I quickly finished my food as my friends engaged in idle talk with my mother, and stood up. I kissed my mom on her cheek and ruffled Kaira's hair. She batted my hand away as I ran for the door. "See you guys at the Reapings!" I called back.

Outside, I paused for a moment, taking in the dreadful fact that I stood a chance of never coming back to this place again. Data must've seen the look on my face, for he quickly turned me to face him. "Hey, don't get all I'm-so-worried-I'll-be-Reaped on me now. If you're Reaped, you're Reaped. You go in, you kick everyone's rears, you come out. Plain and simple. What's gonna happen is gonna happen. You can't waste your time thinking about it."

I almost laughed, remembering how I had given Kaira this very lecture a few minutes ago. I smiled at Data, letting him know I understood, but somehow, I didn't exactly feel much better.

 **Cordin Arc(14)-D3 Female:**

"Hey Hal, pass me that chip over there, will ya'?" I called out, focusing entirely on this project in my hands. I wanted to get this finished before the Reapings in case anything… _unfortunate_ happened. My friend handed me the chip I asked for from behind me, as his twin sister Flux walked in with what seemed to be three glasses of juices.

I carefully fit the microchip in position and closed the flap that secured it in place. I hesitantly reached for the remote and switched it on, waiting for my machine to work.

I beamed with pride as it switched on, the lights whirring to life, as the rotor blades spun and lifted the device into the air. I let out a big whoop of joy, and slid the key in the remote control to the side, as I watched the machine follow the commands. I stepped up to it and cleared my throat.

"Um, hi." I managed. I was aware of Flux bursting into a fit of giggles behind me, but I paid her no heed. I simply waited as series of coding flashed across the small screen on the device. In a robotic voice, it cackled out "Hello Miss Arc. What may I do to help you?"

I freaked out so badly that I almost fell off my pedestal. "IT WORKS! IT ACTUALLY WORKS!" I screamed as I almost hugged it, but stopped, remembering the fact that it was, in fact, a machine.

It was simple, really, nothing too complex. It was a talking drone of sorts, which worked on voice recognition and did simple tasks for you. But I had spent quite some time on it, and was very proud of myself. I stepped off the pedestal as I switched it off, and watched it settle safely down onto the table before I turned around and gave Hal a huge hug. Fllux ran over with the tray (how she managed that, I didn't know), and grinner widely at me.

"You're totally going to win that prize at the exhibition Cordin! I can see it! That's amazing!" She complimented, gesturing towards the drone with one hand. I let out a laugh and picked up a glass from the tray and emptied the contents in three big gulps.

"Wow, someone's a little thirsty." Hal commented.

"It's just… I've been working on that for so long, and there had been so many setbacks, that now that it's finally finished, it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I really want to win that prize, and you guys know that." I said, slightly out of breath due to my previous session. Hal smiled at me kindly. "Yes, well, you're sweaty and disgusting, and you really shouldn't be going to the Reapings like that, the Reapings which, might I add, start very soon. I don't think they accept 'was busy making a science project' as an excuse for showing up late to the Reapings."

My eyes widened as Flux laughed at my expression. "Oh shit! I'd totally forgotten about that! Dan it you two, why didn't you remind me earlier!?" I demanded, hurriedly taking off my toolbelt and gloves. "Because you would've stuck a wrench down my throat if I tried to interrupt your little making of the drone?" Hal said in his defence. I shrugged. "Good point. Now, if you'll excuse me, I don't exactly fancy showing up to the Reapings like this." I stated, pushing past them. I waved a goodbye to them as I walked out of Hal's garage, heading for the house next door, which so happened to be my home.

My friends were the best anyone could ask for. They may have been a year elder than me, but they sure understood me. Hal and Flux were twins, whom I had met quite some time ago. We had been thrown together at a party, all of us cheerful and happy-go-lucky. We'd developed the friendship there, and now, six years later, it was still going strong.

I knocked on the door to have it opened by my mother, who was quite possibly the kindest person I'd ever known. Sometimes I even thought she was too sweet for her own good. I grinned and threw my arms around her waist.

"Mom, the drone works! I finally finished it!" I announced, pushing past her into the house. She ruffled the hair on my head as I proceeded to walk away, leaving her smiling. "Of course, sweetheart, I knew it would work. After all, you are my daughter." My father joked from where he sat on a couch, very obviously ready for the Reapings.

"Yes yes, totally, the credit for all those hours of sweating it out in Hal's garage goes to you, but you look very striking in that suit Daddy, while I look pretty disgusting like this." I yelled back as I ran for my room. Bolting the door quickly, I hurriedly stepped into the shower.

I hurried it up as much as possible, trying to make myself look presentable in the least amount of time. As I stepped out and began drying myself, I let my thoughts run to just how lucky I was. I had a normal, functioning family, and the best friends ever. I smiled at the mere thought of them.

I didn't have any disastrous past, nor had I been emotionally scarred in any way before. I led a simple life, which wasn't uncommon in Three. Here, we had very few tragedies. The Peacekeepers were strict, yes, but we weren't the most rebellious bunch. We simply went about our own business and let them be. After all, they were only doing their jobs.

I honestly didn't understand why people threw up such rebellions. There were a few seniors in my school who were into all that rebellion stuff, but I didn't get it. Not to say I was stupid, which, if I said so myself, I wasn't. But Panem wasn't exactly a terrible country. Rebellion meant killing and massacre. So many lives would be lost, and it might not even succeed.

I did disagree with the Hunger Games, no doubt about that. Every year, the Capitol had absolutely no right to send twenty-four innocent kids into the arena to fight it out. It was unfair and it was cruel. But that didn't mean rebellion was fine either. Why couldn't matters be solved diplomatically and peacefully? If people thought with their brains and not their spirit for vengeance, there might've actually been a solution to this.

I shook my head as I picked out my outfit. It consisted of a simple button-down blue dress, which frilled out below the knees. I slipped it on and tied the black leather belt I owned around it. I liked the belt, because it was the first prize I had won for a science project. I didn't know why I was wearing it today, but if I had to go into the Capitol, I would do so wearing this.

I realized my palms had started sweating at the mere thought of myself being Reaped. I couldn't even fathom such a thing. I mean, I didn't want to feel like a coward, but wasn't everyone afraid of death ? More than death, I was afraid of the fact that I would fail to come back to my family, I would fail to live with my friends. I wouldn't be able to have a normal life, and it would all be taken away from me because of some bloodthirsty tribute.

No, that wouldn't happen. I wouldn't be Reaped. My father had a secured job in a factory, and He earned well, along with my mother. We were pretty well off, and I hadn't even taken any tessarae. Of all the name possible, I hoped our escort's hands didn't go anywhere near my name. Yes, I had a pretty name, but I certainly wouldn't like the escort saying it into the microphone.

I took a deep breath as I looked in the mirror. I had long straight brown hair which I had pulled into a ponytail. My cheeks were full and made me look slightly younger than my age, along with my thin frame and short stature. A spray of freckles was on my nose, standing out against the fair skin underneath. I had dark grey eyes, which held a spark to them, and were, what I like to think of as, my most notable feature. I was pretty small, at 5'4, with no muscle whatsoever, but many people told me I made up for it with my bubbly personality.

I wasn't exactly the type to go around making friends with everybody I saw, but I was naturally friendly. However, if you looked down upon my in any way, you were directly given passage into my dislike list. I treated people with respect, and I always appreciated being treated with the same amount of respect.

I made my way down the stairs and joined my parents at the door, as they patiently waited for me. My mother brushed a strand of stray hair out of my face and smiled down at me. "Sweetie, I know I shouldn't be scaring you, but whatever happens, just remember that your father and I will always believe in you. Always. We love you, don't you ever forget that." She said. I smiled back, biting away a snarky comment on the tip of my tongue. "Mom, I'm not gone yet. But I love you two as well." I said.

Minutes later, I found myself walking down the street to the Reapings Square, walking slightly ahead of my parents. I suddenly remembered I had forgotten my watch at home, and turned around to tell my mother, when I bumped straight into a boy. I hadn't even looked at him before he turned around and cursed

"Goddamit why can't you people walk properly!?" He exclaimed, scowling down at me. He was older, by at least three to four years. I didn't have time for this. I placed a hand on my chest in mock surprise. "Oh I'm sorry but the doctor's clinic is that way. I kinda assumed you were heading there because you so very clearly need glasses!" I yelled before marching away as my parents mumbled apologies. I barely glanced back as I headed to the line to get my finger pricked.

I didn't get this system, honestly. I mean, why take out blood? Why not like, scan out fingerprint? Everything the Capitol did was so weird and inexplicable, I'd stopped trying logic with them a long time ago.

I caught Flux's eye in the fifteen year old section, as our escort Juliaana Bling marched up the steps. She would've been pretty had she not been doing all the weird stuff to herself. A relatively younger escort, she was one of the better ones. Sure, she was sometimes a little too cheerful, but she was really sweet, so no one could really dislike her.

After the usual customary speech, she made her way to the boy's bowl and scooped up a name.

"Keith Digit!"

I sighed, slightly relieved it hadn't been Hal, and feeling bad for the boy who walked out of the eighteen year old section, a somewhat dumbfounded expression on his face. However, he quickly replaced that with a cheerful expression as he smiled at Juliaana. She held out the microphone to him. "All I want to say is, I love my family and friends, and I'll do anything possible to come back to them."

I could barely hear him over the ringing in my ears. I prayed to every being above I could think of that she wouldn't say my name.

"Cordin Arc!"

Wow. Unbelievable. My heart was pounding in my ribcage as I took in the situation. I was terrified out of my mind, but breaking down at the moment wouldn't do. I had the bathroom on the trains to bawl out my eyes. I took a deep breath as I heard sniffles from Flux in the next section. I began stiffly walking up to the stairs. Juliaana held out the microphone to me too, but I simply shook my head. I didn't want to do anything stupid, but speaking at the moment might have led me to that. I simply reached over and shook Keith's hand, as he smiled a reassuring smile at me. What was this guy's deal anyway? How could he remain so calm!?

I had barely registered the walk from the stage to the waiting room as my parents shoved open the door and engulfed me in a hug. I found my face muffled by my mother's dress as tears threatened to spill. She rubbed my back as my father simply held us.

"Listen to me Cordin. You're clever, and you're small. You can do this, if you play your cards the right way. All you have to do is learn the other's weaknesses. You're strong my girl. You can do this. We believe in you. And above all, we love you."

I sniffles as I pulled away. My father's words were comforting, yes, but they weren't enough. But now wasn't the time. I simply nodded as the hugged me again.

My next visitors were Hal and Flux, and both were sniffling, though Hal looked determined Above all else. He shoved something into my hand and I smiled. "That's the bracelet you made for your science fair in fourth grade...' I recalled. He nodded. "Take that as your token. And Cordin, promise me you'll try. You won't give up, promise me. A girl who can stand up to people twice her size when necessary doesn't give up so easily. You can do this, just promise me you'll try."

I hesitated for a moment before answering.

"I'll try."

 **Keith Digit(18)-D3 Male:**

"Ma, it's okay, really. Please, Ma, don't cry. It makes me feel terrible when you cry."I pleaded, wiping the tears from my mother's eyes. My father was awfully close to tears too, and Kaira seemed scared out of her mind.

"Keith, we can't lose you, please you have to try to come back to us!" My mother cried. I simply smiled at her, I didn't say anything. "Son, you can win over sponsors, just act all charming and sweet, and you'll have this in your hands. And I believe in you enough to know you'll keep your humanity in there."My father told me.

"Keith?" Came Kaira's voice. I looked down at her. "Remember the talk you gave me in the morning? That applies to you now. You can kick their butts." She said softly. I pulled her into a tight hug and simply stayed there. My parents pulled us close once again, and we stayed that way until the Peacekeepers came in. I still shuddered a bit at their sight, but I mostly felt disgust towards them.

Data and Calco just about stormed in. Data immediately launched into string of profane swears as Calco hugged me and shook in my arms. Data quickly turned to giving me desperate advice. I stopped him. "I know this Data. I know. What I don't know is wether or not I'll be able to implement it. The Games aren't exactly very relaxing you know." I told him.

He fixed me with a glare.

"Keith, yobetter bloody not become all pessimistic on me now, okay? You're fast and you're kind, so you can get yourself some allies and sponsors. I'm not too worked about those. What I am worried about is the fact that you shouldn't give up on yourself. The words I said in the morning weren't for nothing. You can't give up on yourself Keith, for us, for your family, and for you."

He took my wrist and strung a navy blue band on it. I'd never seen Data so serious. It sprung tears to my eyes, but I held them back. "Data, I can't even... you two are the best friend I'll ever have, and I'm so thankful for you guys." I managed. He glared at me. "Thank me when you come back from the Games." He said as he yanked me into a tight embrace.

I would try my best, obviously. I could only pray I succeeded.

~. ~. ~.

 **A/N: OKAY, I'm like, super tired and I have these horrible allergies and my eye is water it son I wrote this with one eye wrapped in a kerchief looking like a low-budget pirate who just walked through Antarctica because I'm sneezing all the Damn time, but I really wanted to get this out today, so here you are! I'm so sorry if its a bit shorter, I hope you understand my state..**

 **I would like to Thank deny and I'm a Unicorn for these two amazing characters, because they were amazing to write for. I hope I did them justice! Thank you guys so much for all the support you've been giving me. I can never tell you how happy each review makes me and I truly thank each and every one of you!**

 **So what did you think of these two? Did you like any one of them more? What do you think will become of these guys? Lemme know what y'all think! I love hearing from you guys, seriously!**

 **And other than that, I just hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review and have an awesome day/night/evening/afternoon/dawn/Dusk/midnight/early morning/AnyOtherTimeOfTheDayIForgot :D**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard.**


	6. District Four Reapings

**District Four:**

 **Reapings:**

 **Sailor Graceland (16)-D4 Female:**

I sighed, exasperated. "Look, I know what you're saying, but I'm telling you, you told me this plant was poisonous! It's the one that looks like a blueberry, right?" I looked down at the five kinds of berries on the table, sounding like a whiny little kid, while my trainer echoed my sigh.

"No, Sailor, I told you these ones that look like the cherries are the ones you need to steer clear of. Honestly Sailor, it's five berries, how long does it take you to get these in your head?" She snapped. My eyes widened, and I gave her an offended look. "Look here Drill Master, I know I'm this year's volunteer, but I've been studying plants for two hours now, and you can't blame me if I can't remember a few berries!"

She glowered at me. Her name was obviously not Drill Master, but I liked calling her that, because it not only matched her personality, but also the way she spoke and her appearance. A tall, strong lady with square shoulders and a glare that could melt you on spot. It was also the name I'd first called her when I met her, so it was something of a symbol of our first encounter for me. "These excuses won't work in the arena. Now, you know I've always been about pushing you to the farthest, and I won't stop just because it's Reaping Day. So, tell me again, the list of these five kinds of berries from most poisonous to least."

I sighed and looked at them again, trying to remember. Honestly, after two hours of survival training, the things tended to get mixed up in my head. I was still staring at them, when I heard someone scoff to my left. I looked up, curious, and saw the school's official Brat Pack. I hadn't even bothered learning their names.

They went around frolicking and telling other people how bad the latter were. The girls were all catty and wanted to make it big in training, but with their attitude, that wasn't likely to happen. The boys were royal jerks and stuck up. Needless to say, these guys weren't exactly my favorite crowd. And it wasn't as though I was their favorite person either.

"That's what happens, Lilac, when some sixteen-year-old gets chosen for volunteering. I mean, have you seen Harbor here? She'd do like, ten times better." One of the boys commented, looking at Drill Master. Said girl smirked at me and flipped her hair, showing off her perfectly straightened red locks. The others rolled their eyes at me with disdain, while Harbor made a sound of disapproval. "Honestly though, I can't believe they let you volunteer. I mean, even last year's girl, though absolutely useless, had been really pretty. I mean, okay, not beside Kyle, he was _gorgeous_ , but at least better than Miss I-look-like-a-weirdo-with-those-strange-eyebrows here. Aren't the tributes of four supposed to be like, breathtaking?" She comented.

At this point, I was fuming. And if I was completely honest, I was offended and hurt. I wasn't the prettiest girl to go around, even I knew that. But I wasn't ugly. They didn't have the right to insult me just because I was younger and had some strange eyebrows. I wasn't beautiful, but that didn't affect the person who I was… right?

Drill Master took my arm and glared at them. "Don't you kids have other places to go?" She snapped. The lead boy rolled his eyes again. "Oh give me a break Lilac. I don't even know why you waste your time on her. It's obvious she's gonna be the first career to die. If we can even call her that. No career alliance in their right minds would take her in. Last time's girl got in just because of Kai, and since there's no Kai to go around, she'll probably have her head rolling-"

He was cut off by my fist connecting with his jaw. I wasn't usually like this. I was a fairly nice person, but insulting my appearance or anything else was not something I could tolerate. Not to mention, his last comment had struck a chord within me. The boy fell back, holding his jaw, his eyes wide in surprise. The others seemed too shocked to react.

"I'm not weak, okay? Just because I'm younger doesn't mean I'm weak. And just because I'm not a freaking plastic model like these here, doesn't mean I'm ugly. It just means I'm not afraid to be seen as what I really am, and not be seen under a mask of makeup." I said, my voice shaking. I wasn't going to lie, his words had hurt. No one could make me doubt my personality, because I knew that was one thing which was strong. But my appearance was another thing entirely. However, no matter how insecure I was about my appearance, I wasn't about to take kindly to any kind of insult.

The boy threw a few profanities at me and stood up. Before he could do anything, Lilac stepped up from behind me and glared at the lot of them. "Leave. Now." She said, her tone final and authoritative. They stood there for a moment, before deciding it was best not to push matters.

However, the boy's words played on a loop in my mind. I tried not to think about it, but I couldn't help it. What if the career alliance didn't take me in because I was too young? What if they tried to target me in the bloodbath? Sure, I was decent with weapons, but there was no absolute way I could deal with an entire career alliance. I mean, okay, I could survive on my own, I didn't exactly doubt that, but if the careers saw me as a threat rather than an ally, I was in some deep trouble.

"Hey, Sailor, you look at me." Drill Master ordered as she turned me to face her. "Don't give me that look right now. That's the I'm-having-second-thoughts-about-volunteering look. You're skilled and you're strong. You've landed the place for volunteering at sixteen Sailor! That means something okay? When I first saw you, I knew you had the potential, and I still believe in you. Don't you dare listen to others."

I shook my head, sighing. "I'm not listening to them Drill Master. Right now, as bad as their insults to my appearance were, it's not my priority. But it's my own doubts that give me second thoughts. I mean, I'm two years younger than the normal volunteering age, so what if the career alliance doesn't take me? What if they decide to gang up on me and kill me in the bloodbath? And what if say, they do take me, and decide to slit my throat in my sleep, or push me into quicksand!?" I was rushing by the end, and Drill Master simply rolled her eyes.

"Honestly Sailor, the chances of that are next to zero, on the negative side. Contrary to what many think, careers aren't mindless killers. We're trained to be victors, not psychos. They'll obviously take you in once they see your potential." She assured me. I sighed.

I needed to stop letting my imagination run. If I kept thinking about the worse that could happen, I'd be going insane by the time I even reached the Capitol. I smiled at Drill Master, who just gave me a look of pride. I knew she was proud of me, and that was something that made me feel warm inside. Her look wasn't a smile, but it was better. It told me that she wasn't giving me false hopes, and that she actually believed in what I could do.

It wasn't that I didn't believe in myself. I truly did. I knew I had trained, and I knew my strengths. But over the years of watching the Games, I had seen some terrible scenarios. Best friends betrayed each other, siblings literally slit each other's throats. The Games weren't a place where you could simply dash in and cut people up. One needed to be analytical. However, sometimes, admittedly, I over-analyzed a situation. I mean, agreed, some of my scenarios weren't very realistic, but I couldn't help but worry. I wasn't a pessimist, not by a long shot, but I tended to think of too many scenarios in order to think of their solutions.

I'd started watching the Games when I had been five. At first, I simply thought they were a normal Television show, where everything was staged. However, as I grew older, I realized it was all real. Every single bit of it. Yes, it was gruesome, but there was also something to the Games which fascinated me. I wasn't someone who liked killing people for the fun of it, but the Games weren't just about killing. I mean, take last year's victor for example.

Colt Marshal hadn't gotten the highest number of kills, and none of his kills were really the type of kills you'd expect a victor to have. He'd killed the boy from eleven out of mercy, because the latter had begged for death. His district partner had gone crazy and he'd killed her in self defense. The last girl had been pure accidental, and it was only a matter of the fact that he could outlast her that he'd won. The Games didn't mean turning into a murderous raving lunatic. They brought out one's true personality. They were cruel in more ways than one, but I had a strange desire since a very young age to volunteer.

Of course, I hadn't exactly been the biggest or strongest girl out there. That wasn't to say I didn't try, I would try my hardest, train day and night, try to make myself stronger. But without proper guidance, I couldn't reach the level of the others. The other girls were tall and lithe. I was relatively shorter and had a more slim build.

That's when one night, Drill Master had seen me. I had been training with some swords, and though I don't know what she saw that day, she decided I had potential.

And so began my vigorous training. Drill Master pushed me to my limits, sometimes even past them. She would tell me I'm an idiot, but she would also tell me every single day that she believed I was strong. She knew I could do it, and no price was big enough for that. I would train for hours on end, not taking a single break. She would train me herself, after training hours, sometimes until past midnight. But I never complained.

Going into the Games had always been a dream of mine, for more reasons than one. Yes, I had seen the toll it could take on people. I wasn't oblivious to the effects of the Games. I had seen the Games through the years, watched interviews and seen what the victors were like. Sometimes it broke you as an individual. But sometimes, it made you stronger. There were some mentors who'd completely given up, but others had emerged stronger than they'd gone in. And after Drill Master's training, I knew I could do it if I had the determination to.

That, obviously, didn't stop me from worrying. Just because I believed in myself didn't mean I should stop thinking about other things.

"Sailor!" A girl's voice broke me out of my thoughts. I smiled, not even having to look up as I watched my best friend, Bethany make her way towards me, about two other girls behind her. River and Marine were girls from Bethany's class. I didn't know them all that well, but from what Bethany said, they seemed nice enough.

"Hi!"a huge grin broke out all over my face as I ran over to meet them. I gave Bethany a tight hug and smiled widely at the other two girls, who returned my smile. "Gotta say Marine, killer shoes you have there…" I commented, glancing towards the said item. She laughed. "Thanks Sailor. So, the chosen volunteer eh? I shouldn't be surprised, you used to train till freaking midnight some days, from what I heard."

I chuckled. "As if Drill Master would let me go any time before that." I answered, not letting my smile fall. My policy was simple. If someone was kind to me, I was kind to them. I wasn't exactly mean to anyone else, but if someone insulted me, I wasn't going to be happy about that.

"Whatever, I knew Sailor was going to land first place. Me being all clumsy, I didn't really stand a chance, but dang were you determined." Bethany told me, slapping my arm lightly. I laughed again. "Bethany, you're clumsy in literally everything you do. I asked you to pour some juice that day and you ended up spilling it all over my kitchen table." I informed the others more than her. The three of them burst out into gales of laughter, as I patted Bethany on her shoulder.

"Sailor, it's getting late, you really should get going." River told me, her look one of genuine concern. I nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm going just now." I said, as I started walking away. I waved a cheerful goodbye to them as I made my way out of the training centre and grabbed my bike. My house wasn't exactly far, but I needed to get there fast.

As I rode, I could feel the wind whipping my hair all about my face. The air in Four smelled very faintly of the ocean. I smiled at the thought of it. My parents used to take me there all the time when I was younger. Our family wasn't rich like the upper class, but we weren't starving poor. None in Four really were. My father had a safe job as a sorter for the fish in the factory. We were well settled, and pretty happy.

I stopped near the front door and knocked on it continuously. I knew my brother hated it, so I did it more just to make him squirm. As expected, within seconds my brother Trident opened the door, scowling. "How many times Sailor, how many times!?" he exclaimed. I stood up on my toes and ruffled his hair. "You're so adorable when you're annoyed." I smile and ran into the house, leaving him rolling his eyes. I was stopped by my eldest brother Brock, who gave me a big hug. "My little sister's about to volunteer. I'm tearing up." He said, as he pretended to wipe a fake tear away from his cheek. I laughed and smacked his arm.

"Sailor are you really going to volunteer today!?" My seven year old brother Shored yelled as he smashed against my legs. He looked up at me with big green eyes as I bent down and kissed his forehead. "Yup. I'm actually going to do it! After all that training, I'm actually going to volunteer!" I told him. He beamed at me. "YAY! I wanna be just like you, Sailor, I wanna volunteer too!" He exclaimed.

"I still think you're kinda stupid." Trident cut in. I faced him, and even though he tried to sound grouchy, he had a small smile on his face. "I mean, you're sixteen, Sailor. Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"Now now, Trident. That's the reason Sailor's so paranoid. Stop filling her head with doubts." Sherri, my brother's wife commented. She had a baby on the way, and probably was the most beautiful lady I'd seen, after my mother. She turned to me with a chuckle. "Come on Sailor. Let's get you all dressed up for your big day, shall we?"

 **Felix Phantom(18)- D4 Male:**

 _I whimper in my seat as I try to break free of my bonds. I can feel the sweat on my forehead as it drips down the sides of my face. My shirt is plastered to my chest in sweat. My face hurts from the numerous punches that have been landed on it._

" _Why…" I croak out. My voice sounds hoarse. The boy in front of me smirks. "Can I just say it's my pleasure? I mean, seeing you like this, in front of me, all tied up and helpless. It makes me feel good. Haven't you ever heard that Revenge is Sweet? This tastes like a box of the most delicious chocolates." He says, as he crouches in front of me. He turns the corners of his mouth down in a mock sad expression. "Aw, did I hurt your feeling Felix? Did I?" He says in a babyish voice. Behind him, I can hear his numerous goons burst out laughing._

" _Just let me go, please!" I yell again, shaking violently, trying to break free. But whatever I'm bound to is as solid as a rock. Before I can struggle more, the boy's fist lands on my cheek again, and I can feel my teeth sinking into my tongue as the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth. I turn to the side and spit some of the red substance out, and turn to the boy with a look of pure hatred._

" _You're not just keeping me here to hurt me, are you? You're doing this for a reason." I say, blood dripping onto my shirt as I speak. The boy stands up, smirking. "Well well, Felix. You're not a total idiot after all. Yeah, I have another reason. Two, actually."_

 _I give him my worst possible glare. People say my glares are intimidating, but in the dim light, it does almost nothing to scare these boys. The head goon standing in front of me, Kylo, is the worst of them all. He isn't just the school bully, he's my arch nemesis._

" _You see, you probably have heard of my brother, Raven. The Chosen Volunteer for this year?" he asks. I give him another glare, but it does convey my agreement. "Well, Raven is an idiot and a coward. He started worrying about the Games and death and whatnot. According to him, if Kai of last year's could go down, he doesn't stand a chance in the Games. Pathetic, I know. But he's still my brother." He says._

" _Why am I supposed to care?" I snap at him._

" _Oh but you should. Because Raven chickened out and decided not to volunteer. Which means, if he doesn't volunteer at the Reapings, it's going to be extremely shameful for him and my family. And obviously for me. Now, I'm a year too old for volunteering, and honestly, I wouldn't have, because the Games are a waste of time, but I do value my pride. So, I need someone to volunteer instead, and make it look like he tried, but someone else stole his chance. Someone expendable."_

 _It's then that his intent hits me like a ton of bricks, and I freeze, staring at him with wide eyes._

" _You… want me to volunteer!?" I choke out._

" _No." He states. Then he sneers. "I'm telling you to volunteer. Threatening you into it, actually. Because if you don't, Felix, I'm going to tell you father and the Peacekeeper force about that little conversation I overheard. What do you think they'll do to your friends and you when they found out about your little activities, eh?"_

 _I shiver in my sit, as I look up at him. "H-How do you know they'll believe you?" I demand, knowing my argument is weak. Kylo only laughs. "Oh please Felix. I have the support of all my boys, and I come from a respected family. You've been caught once or twice before, haven't you? Nothing serious, but you have been caught. Whose word do you think they'll believe?"_

 _I can't believe this is happening. I feel tears stinging my eyes, as I give him a pleading look. "Kylo, please-"_

" _Plus, I hate you so freaking much, and this is the perfect revenge. Forcing you to do what you've hated for so damn long." He says._

 _I hate this. I hate this from the bottom of my heart. But Kylo gives me no choice. I can't let my friends come in the way of harm. And if my activities are exposed, my father and mother will be thrown out of employment, and friends will be executed. I take a breath._

" _I'll do it."_

 _Kylo sneers again. "Good, because if you don't…" He pulls his fist back and rams it straight into my face._

I felt the glass of water shattering in my hand as I came back to my thoughts. I cried out, but not loud enough for anyone else in the house to hear. I was shaking, with fury, and apprehension. I felt the warm blood drip down my hand as I looked at my palm. Shards of the glass stuck out of it, but I wasn't about to go running to my mother. This pain was nothing compared to the pain I felt today.

I couldn't believe my fate. Forced to volunteer for the very Games I loathed with a deep rooted passion.

Yes, I hated the Games. I couldn't believe all those people who trained hard every year to volunteer for the Games. Why would someone train to become a killer? To go into that godforsaken arena and take innocent lives?

More than the Games, I hated the Capitol. They were cruel, heartless monsters who did nothing other than take away our freedom and condemn us. We were led to believe they were just. That was a load of bullcrap. No one just could ever invent something as despicable as the Hunger Games. I mean, sending twenty four children in there to become murderers? What good did they get from that?

Nothing. They got nothing. Yet they still watched it, for their own pleasure. They invented different traps and mutts to make life even harder for the tributes. I shuddered as I remembered the death of the girl from Nine last year. Her flesh had been eaten away by metallic bugs, and that had left her in a state so bad, that she'd begged her ally to end her suffering. And they'd showed an interview after that, with the Head Gamemaker. Heathers, along with all of Panem, had smiled at her death, congratulating Thaddeus Sheen for coming up with such a mutt, and Heathers himself for knowing when to implement it.

I had never felt so repulsed.

And the finale had been the worst. They'd broken those two beyond imagination. The state they'd been in, it had been horrendous. No one could do that to children, innocent lives which didn't deserve to be tainted with murder and gore.

When I'd been younger, I'd always been fascinated by the Games. I hadn't been much different from the other kids. But as I grew older, I slowly came face to face with the true facts. These Games were inhumane and cruel. I hated them, and I hated the Capitol. And my friends shared my opinions.

So we formed a small group. A small group of secret rebels. We didn't do much, but we would sometimes leave a rebellious message on a Peacekeeper's door, or challenge the Peacekeepers when they tried to misuse their position. I'd been caught a few times, but always been let go due to my Father's position. But no one knew the extent to which we could be rebellious. If they did, they would execute all of us for treason.

My father worked as a spy of sorts, for the Capitol, telling them of secret rebel groups. The only one he didn't know about was the one in which his own son was. I loved my father, I truly did. I knew he only did his job to keep my mother and I safe. But I also hated the Capitol. My father loved me almost blindly, and while I did return that love wholeheartedly, I also managed to keep my rebel group secret from him and the Capitol.

But a week ago, everything had changed.

My friends and I had been sitting in a secluded spot, talking about an incident that had us enraged. The Peacekeepers had executed an old man of seventy-five just because the latter had refused to give one of them an extra discount on his goods. We'd been alone.

Or so we'd thought.

My arch enemy, Kylo had overheard us. We'd spotted him, but it had been too late. Kylo had managed to escape, leading to the worst incident in my life. One day later, him and his goons had beaten me up, dragged me to an abandoned cellar, and threatened to spill the secret of my friends to the Peacekeepers. Unless I volunteered.

If my secret rebel group became known, my friends would be turned to slaves or simply killed, and my parents would lose their jobs. I couldn't let all of their lives go to waste, just because of my hatred towards the Games. I still loathed the games, but I loved my near and dear ones more. So I'd agreed.

"Felix?" My mother opened the door, a smile on her worn out, but still beautiful face. However, as soon as she saw my blood-covered hand, her smile faded. "Oh my god! What did you do!?" She cried, frantically reaching for the first-aid kit we kept in my room. I shook my head. "Mom, it's fine…" I said in a soft voice. I didn't want her to be worried. Her job kept her busy, and I couldn't burden her.

She glared up at me. "Fine my foot! You have glass sticking out of your hand Felix! What on earth were you thinking!?" She cried as she began pulling out the shards carefully and slowly. I flinched, as pain shot through my arm in pangs, but didn't say anything. Once she'd gotten all of them out, she hurriedly dragged me to the washroom and held my had under the running water.

"Oh Felix…" She said, running her hand through my hair. "Sweetheart, is there something you want to tell me?" she asked gently. I paused. How could I tell her? After a moment's hesitation, I shook my head. "No Mom. It's nothing. I just got distracted, and that glass is more brittle than it looks." I said, laughing half-heartedly. She gave me a small smile as she closed off the tap and began wrapping a bandage around my hand.

She tied the final knot and examined it, apparently satisfied. "We'll take you to the doctor's after the Reapings. For now, just hurry up and get ready sweetie. Your Father and I are already waiting for you downstairs." She said. I bit back the bitter laugh that threatened to escape me. I wouldn't be going to the doctors. I would be going to an arena.

I watched my mother walk out the door and shut it. My hand still hurt and still bled slightly through the bandage, but it would be fine. I walked to my closet and picked out a simple red-checkered shirt, which I threw on top of my black T-shirt. I slid into some dark blue jeans, and looked in the mirror at my reflection. I looked intimidating at first glance, but my friends told me I was just the opposite. Which was true, I guess. I couldn't bring myself to intimidate other people, especially not younger ones. Or anyone for that matter. No one deserved to be treated cruelly, unless they themselves were cruel. I had dirty blonde hair which was in a perpetually messy state, and complimented my stormy grey eyes. I looked different from the usual guy in Four, but I liked my appearance the way it was.

Satisfied, I made my way downstairs, where my parents were waiting. I gave them a hug, which seemed to surprise them, before getting into the car. The drive till the Reapings square was silent, which also startled my parents, because I wasn't really a quiet person.

As I stood in line to get my finger pricked, I heard my friend's voice behind me. Both Jupiter and Caesar had offered to volunteer instead, which was proof of how strong our friendship was. But Kylo needed me to volunteer. I didn't want to find out what he would do if I didn't. Caesar and Jupiter gave me sympathetic glances, but I shot them a small smile.

As we took our place in the Eighteen-year-old boy's section, our escort Amora marched up the stage. She smiled kindly down at us, and said a few simple words of formality. Without further delay, she picked out a name from the boy's bowl. My heart hammered in my ribs. This was it.

"Raven Peterson!"

I almost laughed at my fate. Kylo's brother had been Reaped? I could feel Kylo's eyes on me, threatening and cruel. I steadied my voice.

"I Volunteer!"

Collective gasps rang out, as the chosen volunteer walked back to his section and I took his place at the stage. Amora smiled at me. "Your name sweetie?" She asked. Her voice was so soft, I could almost forget she was a capitolite. I smiled back at the crowd, ignoring the fact that my heart felt like it was shattering to a million pieces. "Felix Phantom." I said. I didn't say anything else. I really didn't want to. Amora smiled again and made her way to the girl's section.

"Nereid Cavael!"

"I Volunteer!"

A girl made her way out of the sixteen-year-old section. I knew her. The chosen female volunteer, Sailor Graceland. Everyone knew her. It was hard not to, really. Her outgoing and bubbly personality made her hard to ignore. She made her way to the stage, her blonde hair bouncing in its ponytail. She had sharp facial features, which made her look much more harsh than she really was. Her dress had lacey sleeves, and a frilled bottom, and I had to say, it looked good on her. She wasn't exactly beautiful, but she was pretty, I supposed, in a somewhat non-conventional way. She beamed at the crowd. "I'm Sailor Graceland, and I hope I'll be seeing you after these Games. Also hope that it won't be as a corpse!" She half-joked. Amora smiled. "Sweetie, that's a beautiful name." she said, earning another somewhat childish smile from Sailor. We reached out to shake hands, and she raised an eyebrow when she saw my bandaged palm. I shrugged nonchalantly, as she gave me another reassuring grin. Really, this girl had an array of smiles.

As we both made our way into the Justice Building, I could only imagine what my parents would be feeling. I didn't have to wait too long to find out. Almost as soon as the door closed was it thrown open again by my parents.

"Oh my god, Felix!"my motor was crying as she swept me into her arms. My father pu his arms around us both as we just stayed there, enjoying what could be our last few moments as a family.

"Why?" My father asked as he pulled away. I shook my head. "Dad, it doesn't matter. Not now. It's done, and what's done is done. I have something to ask of you though... a favor."I said, looking him in the eye. He clearly held back tears as he nodded. "If I die in that arena Dad... promise me you'll leave your job. Retire or something. Take up another job. Please, just do this... for me... "my voice broke by the end. "Why don't you tell us the reason, son?"he asked helplessly. I shook my head again. "Dad, we don't have too long. Just promise me!" I begged. He nodded.

"I promise. But Felix, you're coming back to us. I won't lose my son, you get that?" He stepped closer and looked right into my eyes. "You can do this, okay?" He assured me. Just then, the door was thrown open to the Peacekeeper yelling at us that our time was over. Hurriedly, my mother planted a kiss on my forehead. "We love you Felix... " she said before they both walked out. I stared after them.

"I love you guys too... "the words felt barren on my lips.

My next visitors were Caesar and Jupiter, as expected. They both gave me huge bear hugs before giving me stern looks. "Dont you freaking dare give up on us Felix. You're a trained career. I know you're going into the Games, but maybe you can make it through without turning into a monster okay? You'll come back to us." Jupiter said, sounding a little desperate.

He was right. I had trained, just in the terrible case I was reaped and no one volunteered. But that didn't mean I had the heart to murder other people. But I had to try. For my parents, and my friends. I had to try. I smiled at them. "I'm going to try my best. You guys know that."I assure them.

And I would try. I was going into the very Games I despised, sent away to become a killer. I wouldn't let the Games change me, turn me into the Capitol's puppet. But I would try my level best to come back.

 **Sailor Graceland (16)-D4 Female** :

"YAY!Sailor volunteered!" Shores yelled as he launched into the room. I bemt down with a smile as he tackled me into a hug. "Thats right, I did!" I said as re rest of my family walked in. I took turns giving everyone hugs, even Trident, who was usually very awkward with human contact. My Father beamed down at me. "Sailor, I know you can do this. I just know it. I may not like the Games as such, but I do believe in my little girl." I smiled up at him. "Thanks Dad."I told him.

"Sailor, come here." My mother pulled me into another hug as she cried. "Please okay? I know you can do this, but I'm your mother and I can't help but be worried." She pulled away. "But I know my little girl's going to be a Victor yet." She smiled as she wiped the tears from her eyes. I smiled back awkwardly.

"Now now, you guys, save the tears. I ain't dead yet, so you shouldn't cry. Say I do end up dead, save it for my funeral. And if I come back, save it for all the sappy television shows we'll watch." I stated, in an attempt to lighten things up. I'm sure my family would've said some more things too, to make me feel as confident as possible, but the Peacekeeper entered just then, announcing that their time was over. They gave me one last hug as they went out, leaving me staring after them, silently praying this wouldn't be the last time I saw them.

After my family I was greeted by Drill Master and Bethany, together. The Peacekeepers must've ordered them. Bethany hugged me tightly, refusing to let go. "Beth... you're... choking me... "I squeaked out. She let go hurriedly and wiped at the tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you're actually going in there Sailor... "she muttered. Drill Master rolled her eyes, but gave us our moment. "But I know you'll come back to me. I just know it... "her voice faltered as she looked at me with moist eyes. "You will, right?"

I smiled my most cheerful smile down at her. Even though my palms were kind of sweaty, I didnt want to see Bethany crying. "Dunno about 'will', but I'll sure as hell try!" I told her.

But all this crying was making the doubts I had creep back into my mind. I was confident in my skills, yes, but I had so much to return to. So many people who were waiting for me, so many people I would never see again if I died in that arena.

Apparently it showed on my face, because Drill Master turned me sharply to face her. "Hey, Sailor, don't doubt yourself now. Look, when I saw you all those years ago, I saw potential. I saw determination. And above all, I saw strength. You're strong, Sailor. I believe in you, okay? You're coming back. And I also know you won't be coming back as a monster." She said. Her look turned fierce. "The Games don't mean losing who you are. Don't lose yourself in there Sailor. Don't change yourself. Stay who you are, stay strong, and you can do this. Trust me." She said.

For some strange reason, Drill Master's stern words were what made a flicker of confidence shine through the doubts in my head. She believed in me, and so did my family an friends. And if they did, I could believe it too.

I was going into the Games alright, but I wasn't going to be turned into a heartless cruel beast because of it. I wouldn't let the Games change me into a monster. No, I was going to get through it all as Sailor Graceland. The Games wouldn't break me. They would make me stronger.

At least, that's what I hoped.

~. ~. ~.

 **A/N: HOLA MI AMIGOS. HOW ARE ALL OF YOU!? I'M BACK! Yay! Okay, I know this update was a little late, and I'm really sorry. Like you all probably know, my allergies for the past few days were horrible. They wouldn't leave me for two days, but after takin a whole lot of allergy pills, I'm much better, almost fully fine. I haven't had an allergy attack this prolonged and bad in months, and hopefully won't anytime soon. But thank you all so much for all your kind words. They mean a lot to me, really.**

 **And here we have the last of the careers! What did you guys think of District Four? Any one you liked better? And how do you think they'll fit in with the other careers? And how was the chapter? Tell me what you though! :)**

 **I would like to Thank IVolunteerAsAuthor and AgentWriter for Sailor and Felix! These guys were so amazing to write, and I hope I did them justice! I may have changed them slightly, sp I hope that was okay! Sorry for it, but the changes were necessary. This goes for all the tributes before and after these two. Do let me know what you thought of how I did! :)**

 **And OH MY SWEET CANDY CANES OF RAINBOWLAND I CROSSED A HUNDRED REVIEWS I CANNOT EVEN. The support you guys are giving me is so freaking awesome, I seriously can't tell you. It brings a huge smile on my face, each and every review, and your support keeps that smile where it is. I'm truly privileged to have such amazing readers, I'm not kidding. Seriously. You guys are awesome. Shout out to TranscendentElvenRanger for being my 100th reviewer!**

 **Hope you guys liked this chapter! Thanks so much!**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard.**

 **PS: Did anyone see what I did with Felix and the glass of water? ;)**


	7. District Five Reapings

**District Five:**

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 **Reapings:**

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 **Warning: Torture, gore, and mentions of drug use and self-harm.**

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 **Thea Lockeheart(17)-D5 Female:**

"Hmm…" I softly sighed to myself, running the tip of my knife under the boy's throat. "You know, I can think of so many ways to gut you right now." I sneered, inching even closer. The boy whimpered in front of me, sweating profusely. I chuckled at the sight. God, he looked so pathetic right now, it was hilarious. His fear was hilarious.

"I think I'll start with the throat, don't you?" I muttered, as I gripped the knife tighter. He tried to make a dash for it, but I wasn't exactly about to let him do so. I grabbed him from around the waist and slammed him back onto the wall. In District Five, no one really heard the screams of a thirteen-year-old at the back of an abandoned alley. Hell, they never even heard the screams of anyone even if that person stood in the middle of the road and wretched their throat raw. So I didn't really have anything to worry about. Not that I cared. I mean, Peacekeepers couldn't stop me from getting my share of blood and revenge.

I grabbed the younger boy by his hair and slammed his head onto the wall behind him. The gag in his mouth muffled his scream, but I could see the pain in his eyes flash bright. Good. He deserved this pain. He deserved to be in this situation. I smirked at him and pressed the tip of my knife into his skin under the jaw line, drawing out blood. My smile only grew wider at the sight of the beautiful red liquid, which slowly dripped onto his shirt. I wiped a drop off his neck with my finger, and ran the blood over his cheek.

"Aw, are you scared? Is little Avery scared of a little bit of blood?" I mocked, slicing the blade across his jaw. His muffled scream was much louder, and now tears freely ran down his cheeks as he shook his head, clearly begging me to stop. I laughed at the way he shivered and cried. He should've thought about the consequences before messing with my brother.

I cared nothing for the rest of the people. Absolutely nothing. They were simply toys, waiting to be tortured. Their sadness was mirth for me. But the one person I did care about was my little brother. Nobody messed with Wolfe Lockheart. Nobody. Not even my own parents. Whenever someone did, they always paid the price for it. Like my parents had.

This kid had bullied Wolfe in school. Now, he didn't really think I was going to sit back and watch as my little brother got tortured, did he?

I yanked his head up by his hair and smashed his face against the wall. I heard the satisfying sound of bone breaking, and pulled his head back, only to repeat the same action. I dragged him across the wall, keeping his broken face pressed onto the rough surface. I finally let go of him and flipped him around to admire my work. I smiled. His nose was broken in unimaginable ways, he bled from everywhere on his face, and his teeth seemed to be broken too.

I stabbed the knife into his shoulder, earning a shriek from him. The boy was nearly unconscious. I growled at him, a somewhat animalistic growl which clearly conveyed my emotions. I wanted him dead, but I knew that wasn't correct. He shouldn't be given such a quick solution. No, he deserved to be tortured, _then_ killed. Where was the fun in killing at one go? Killing like that was _boring._

I laughed as he tried to push me away, simply because he was in so much pain, and was covered in so much blood. I landed a punch to his stomach and dropped him to the ground. I pressed my boot onto his back, as he coughed up blood through the gag.

"Are you sorry for bullying Wolfe!?" I demanded. The boy didn't respond. He tried moving his head, but I was pressing him into the ground with all my force, which, needless to say, was a lot. I knelt down and pulled his head up. "I asked a question sweetie. Won't you answer?" My tone was sing-song and somewhat quiet. He nodded desperately, despite of me holding his head.

"Hmm, now that doesn't seem like a heartfelt apology Avery. You can do much better than that, can't you?"I said in the same sing-song voice as I rammed his face onto the pavement. I dug the knife into the back of his neck and drew it down the length of his back, enough to draw a thick line of blood, but not enough to kill him.

The boy was now convulsing on the ground under me. I stood up, satisfied with my work. I didn't need to kill him to teach him a lesson. I would leave him here in this alley and he'd eventually bleed to death. That was a much better death than me killing him. I stabbed his shoulder once again, laughing at the sight of the red liquid that splashed my face. I kicked him in the ribs and shoved him off to the side, beside a garbage bin.

"That'll teach you not to mess with my brother." I snarled at him. He barely seemed to hear me, for his face was a raw bloody mass of broken bones and dirt. I gave him a bright smile.

"Toodles!" I sang as I waved to him.

I turned on my heel and kept walking. I could hear the boy's disgruntled groans behind me, pleading for help. I simply laughed. He needed to be taught a lesson. And obviously, this was the only way to do it.

I didn't really understand people that much. Why would they try to talk and socialize when the solution to every problem lay in taking a knife and gutting the person who caused the problem? I didn't like interacting with people that much. They'd do strange things like asking me how my day was an generally being nice to me. That creeped me out. No one was nice to anyone without a motive. Either they wanted to kill me, or they wanted information from me to kill my brother. These two could only be the possibilities.

Then again, I didn't really have to worry about them too much. Whoever did anything to harm either my brother or me, well, they usually ended up in a state not too far better than Avery back there in the alley. I chuckled to myself as I rubbed his blood off on my jeans. He shouldn't have punched Wolfe. My brother had only bumped into him. He'd lost his temper and punched Wolfe. Now, he was paying for that. Every drop of his blood reminded him of his mistake.

I heard what people said about me. They said I wasn't quite right in the head. I didn't agree. Just because I thought every problem could be solved by a sharp weapon didn't mean I was crazy. I just found this to be an easy, effective and enjoyable solution. Blood and people's suffering in front of my eyes in return for teaching them a lesson for their mistakes. What more could I ask for?

I hated it when people said things like that. When people called me insane, or, as my parents would say, 'sadistic'. I just liked blood. And seeing people in pain. Other people liked stupid things like clothes and food. What difference did it make?

Thankfully though, my parents weren't around anymore to tell me off about me being 'crazy'.

It had happened when I was eight, my parents went a little overboard. They screamed at me for hours on end about how I was a 'sadistic little brat' just because I had gutted our neighbor's kitten. They even locked me in my room to punish me. So I decided to teach them what it meant to mess with me. I'd broken my window and climbed out, and reentered the house through the back door. I'd picked up the biggest knife in the kitchen and found myself to my parent's room. Wolfe had been sleeping with them, being only four. I'd shoved him off the bed and drove my knife into their throats without hesitation. Then I'd slowly watched them bleed to death, smirking, because now they knew why it was wrong to punish me.

Wolfe seemed to always be a little afraid of me after that day. Sometimes I needed to threaten him with a butcher's knife to get him to listen to me, but he didn't really understand that I cared about his well-being. Being mute, he'd never insulted me. And I liked that. I liked how he did everything I said without saying anything.

Without realizing it, I found myself at my front door. I hadn't really been a big fan of the lock on the door, so one day I'd simply pulled it out and smashed it. And I hadn't let Wolfe put another lock after that. As if anyone would come into my room, or Wolfe's. One time someone did. Let's just say the person hadn't really had it very easy when he'd bled to death on my couch.

"Wolfie, I'm home!" I called in a cheerful voice to my brother. Wolfe peeked out from behind the door to the kitchen, and took one look at my appearance and his eyes widened in terror. I smiled at him. "Remember Avery? That mean boy who bullied you? I taught him a nice lesson. It was kinda fun, but most importantly, now he won't be bothering anyone else." I told him as I bounded up to my room. Wolfe was still frozen in his place, his eyes now slightly moist. Sometimes I really didn't get that boy. I mean, honestly, why was he afraid of me? I wasn't about to harm him!

I pulled open the cupboard and grabbed the first thing in sight, which happened to be a knee-length black dress. It had a little dirt caked on one side, but I didn't really care. I quickly slipped into it, and pulled my hair up in a ponytail. I couldn't wait for today to get over. This was my second last year, and Wolfe's second. I was honestly worried for him. I didn't want him to get reaped, because he'd probably die some gruesome death, and I couldn't even torture the people who did it to him. If I was in the Games, true, I would like torturing the other tributes, but then, who would look after Wolfe?

I sighed, remembering how Wolfe had gotten bullied just the day before.

Then I remembered Avery's broken form on the ground and his blood on me, and a smile crossed my face.

 **Ryder Sparks (18)- D5 Male:**

 _The lights are dim, but I can make out voices beside me. We're at a party, and the whole atmosphere's of mirth and cheer. Obviously it won't be so for too long. I look to the side and I can still clearly make out the outline of my best friend, Matrix. He's drinking, which I don't really appreciate, but he's never been one to listen to me._

 _Suddenly, he's forcing a glass into my hand. I shake my head, knowing he won't be able to hear me over the blaring music at the party. I see him mouthing something, and make out the words '_ Orange Juice' _. I see what he's holding, and it really does look like the said substance. My instincts tell me to refrain, but he's my best friend, he won't do anything that'll harm me, right?_

 _Hesitant at first, I take the glass from his hands and slowly sip the contents. Though at first it does taste exactly like what Matrix said, I slowly feel my eyes getting heavy. I feel my vision go blurry as I swerve on my feet, unable to keep my balance. Confusion relays over my heart. I had what obviously was orange juice, so why do I feel so drowsy?_

 _Then Matrix is there, smiling reassuringly at me, along with some of his other friends. He's put my arm around his own shoulder, and he's basically the only thing keeping me from falling. I'm grateful for his support, especially when he, along with the others, practically drag me to what in my blackening vision seems to be a bedroom. I assume it's just to leave me to rest._

 _It isn't until much much later that I realize absolutely how wrong I had been._

 _Instead of putting me on the bed, Matrix throws me on the floor, and laughs, a strange, twisted laugh which doesn't seem like him at all. I'm on the verge of unconsciousness, but I can hear him taunting me. Taunting the fact that I'm too soft-hearted and nice. That I'm not as tough as him and his other friends. They all laugh some more, as I try to keep myself awake. Panic and fear fills me up to the brim, because I cannot believe Matrix is saying such horrible things to me._

 _Then he does something utterly disgusting and horrendous._

 _He drags out a knife from his belt, and holds it over the fire in the fireplace, laughing that maniacal laugh some more. I can't make out what he's saying in my state, but from his tone, it must be more taunts._

 _At this point, I'm terrified, and tears are already running down my face. I try to back up, as Matrix comes near me, holding out the red-hot blade of the knife out in front of him. I try to say something, but my speech is slurred and makes no sense. I'm utterly helpless._

 _I'm utterly helpless as Matrix flips me onto my back._

 _I'm utterly helpless as he digs the flaming tip of the knife into my back._

I sat bolt upright in bed, unaware for a moment that I was screaming. I didn't even know of the screams that burnt my throat, until I felt someone sit on the other side of my bed.

"RYDER!" came the voice of my panicked sister Maddy.

I stopped my screaming, as I heard her voice. The events of that night were still so vivid in my mind. The feeling of a burning hot knife being dug into your back. The feeling of utter and complete betrayal of your best friend, who you trusted with your full heart.

Maddy reached out and touched my leg, attempting to sooth me, but the moment her hand made contact with my skin, a jolt ran through my body. I let out a yelp and yanked my leg away, looking at her with a fear-filled expression.

"Ryder, was it the same dre-nightmare? About… him?" she knew I hated even the mention of his name. I looked down at my hands, and realized I was shivering. My whole shirt was plastered to me with sweat.

I forced myself to take a deep breath. I forced my hands to stop shaking. Once I felt I was somewhat stable, I looked at Maddy. "What do you think, Maddy? Being tortured by your best friend for hours on end, that doesn't really leave you very easily, does it?" I said in a shaky voice.

Maddy was silent for a few moments. Then she sighed. "I know I can't tell you to simply forget about it Ryder, but you have to try. You can't live like this, every moment filled with fear." She stated. I almost laughed. "Well then maybe it's just easier not to live." My voice was strangely bland. My sister sighed again and shook her head. "Ryder, I don't-"

"Go Maddy, I want to head out for a while before I go to the reapings. I need to change. Just… go." I said, pulling myself off my bed. Maddy gave me a final look of understanding and sadness before she obeyed me.

Once she was gone, I reached for the handle of my closet, only to realize my hands were shaking again. I clenched my fists as a tear broke free of the barrier and rolled down my cheek. I slammed my fist against the closet door. I needed to take my feelings out on something. I slammed my fist repeatedly into the door, aware of the fact that I was bruising it. But I was pouring it all out, my anger, my hate, my disgust.

I didn't even realize I was crying. I sank to my knees, shaking slightly. Why did this happen to me? What had I done to deserve my fate?

Matrix had drugged me that night. He'd drugged my juice, so that I'd have no control over myself. Then he and his other friends had dragged me to a secluded room, and laughed at me. But nothing had been as bad as Matrix's knife slicing across my back. He'd laughed hysterically as he'd burnt and slashed my skin.

It hadn't ended there. There had been three of them. They'd thrown me across to each other, taking turns cutting my flesh, while all I could do was let out garbled screams of pure terror. I tried begging them to stop, tried pleading with the monster I'd thought was my best friend. But nothing had fazed them.

The next morning, the owners of the party venue had found me lying in a pool of my own blood, almost dead.

The doctors said it had been a miracle I'd survived after being stabbed so many times, but telling me things I knew were of no use. If someone had told me that Matrix would be punished for his deeds, it would have served as a small consolation. But no. when I'd gone to the Peacekeepers, they'd outright ignored me, and it wasn't until after a few days that I realized why.

Matrix's father own a wealthy company here in Five. Their whole family was stinking rich. Which was why Matrix got what he wanted, all the time. Even if what he wanted was to torture the person he'd called his brother, his best friend.

But my misfortune hadn't stopped there either. The news spread like wildfire around the whole district, and now, I couldn't even go to the supermarket without people giving me scared and somewhat afeard looks. As though I was some abomination. I couldn't speak to people without hearing the undertone of them asking me whether or not I was okay.

And the worst of all was the fact that Matrix took every opportunity to have me relieve the moments of that night. He'd corner me in an alley, and press a knife to my throat, whispering in my ear how fun it had been watching me scream like a witch. He and his other boys would then beat me up and leave me blackened and bruised in the dark alley, as they laughed and went their own way.

I couldn't. I simply couldn't live like this anymore.

I couldn't spend every day of my life in fear of being harmed like that again. Now, every time someone even touched me, I would jump, afraid their next move would be to bring out a knife and kill me. My days were shrouded by terror. I couldn't spend every night having a nightmare about my blood being drawn out by laughing maniacs. I couldn't live any longer with the sympathetic yet slightly disgusted and fearful looks everyone gave me.

No, I couldn't. So there were two solutions.

I could either kill myself, but I didn't want to be a coward. I didn't want to give in to Matrix. If I did that, he'd have the pleasure of knowing he'd had me succumb to his emotional and physical torture. I couldn't fall prey to him again. That left the second option.

Volunteering for the Hunger Games.

If I won, I would live in the victors village, and then every one would respect me, and even if they didn't, I'd have my own world, away from Matrix and his horrors. I would no longer be an abomination. No more would people look at me as though I was about to go crazy and completely snap. Every breath of mine wouldn't be laced with fear.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. I needed a walk. Maybe walking would help me clear my mind a bit. I knew it was pretty much fruitless; I'd been living with the burden of the events of that night for quite a few months now, and no matter how much I tried distracting myself, it would never stop haunting me. But that didn't mean I would stop trying.

I threw on a pair of khaki shorts with a blue T-shirt. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. The shirt complimented my startling blue eyes, which I'd always considered my best feature. I had a little stubble on my chin, but Maddy insisted it suited me. I was tall, around six feet, with a lithe build, and some muscle on my hands from working out. Matrix was freaking rich, and my family was pretty well-off too, so he would always tell me we had 'an image' to maintain. I scoffed at the memory. I ran a hand through my hair, spiking up the front slightly, from where it had gotten disheveled due to sleep.

I made my way downstairs and ignored the worried look Maddy gave me. My parents probably were either at work, or didn't care enough about the Reapings to wake up. They were basically married to their work. Maddy was the only real family I had. The only one who cared about what happened to me. For a while, my parents had taken care of me after that night, but they'd thought the impact had been purely physical. Every time I broke my composure in front of them, they'd wave it off and tell me to grow up and forget it.

I made my way out the door without saying anything, and kept walking down the path to the Square where they held the Reapings. This was the longer route, but I needed the walk.

I hadn't gone more than a few dozen meters, when I heard someone's pained moans coming from a secluded alley. Instinctively I stopped and looked in, to have my breath catch itself in my throat. There lay a boy, or what was visible of his mangled, broken body, beside a dumpster, covered in blood and dirt. I froze, but only for a moment before rushing forward.

"Oh god…" I muttered as I got closer. The boy seemed really young, around thirteen. I couldn't recognize him, but I may have seen him at school. The wounds on him had obviously been made by a knife. He'd been tortured into this state. He looked at me with pleading eyes. "Help…" He managed.

I didn't hesitate before putting an arm under his knees and back and lifting him up into my arms. He was small, and didn't really weigh much. "You're lucky kid. The hospital's nearby. Just stay with me, okay?" I told him as I walked as fast as I could with a bloodied child in my hands.

It was only minutes away, the hospital. I just about smashed through the door and yelled for the doctors. I didn't have to wait too long before people appeared with a stretcher and took him from me, laying him out on the white sheet. I was about to follow them in, till where they took him, but the doctor stopped me with a firm hand on my chest.

"Son, you've done a really good thing, bringing him in. But with the state he's in, we need emergency treatment, and now. Once we recognize who he is, we'll call his parents, but you need to be at the Reapings. I can tell you're in that age, and you need to go. If you don't, both you and this hospital will be in trouble. We can handle this." She assured me. I took a moment to calm myself down, before I nodded at her and ran out the door.

As I made my quick way down to the square, I couldn't get the boy out of my mind. I felt a pang of understanding and sympathy for him. I knew what it felt like to be cut up and found lying in your blood. I knew what it felt like to be hurt in that way.

No one deserved it, no matter how cruel they were.

I was the last person in the line of people waiting to get their fingers pricked, and the lad gave me a strange look as I stretched out my hand. I realized then as she took my blood that I still had the boy's blood caked all over my shirt, hands and probably pants too.

"Um…" I began. The lady simply rolled her eyes and waved me off. I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and made my way over to the eighteen-year-old boys' section. Our escort, Evana, was a sweet and cheerful lady from what I could tell, even though she looked like she needed medical help with her yellow skin and bizarre hair. As she started her usual speech, I took the chance to look at our mentors.

Aaran Surge seemed to be examining the entire crowd with observant eyes, as though he was trying to figure out which one of us would be Reaped. The guy was slightly creepy, but I knew he was knowledgeable. He'd brought Dane Evans home, and last year, his tribute, a mere twelve year old had reached the top four and almost won, had it not been for a misfortunate accident.

Dane was another story. The guy smiled at the crowd, but I could see he was nervous. Probably for his sister. But she'd gotten Reaped last year, until that Voltz girl had volunteered for her. No one's luck could be _that_ bad. But even though I was slightly wary of Dane, after what he'd done in his Games, I felt a little bad for him. He was secluded by the people at school but that was improving bit by bit. He'd done what he had under compulsion. I could tell from what I knew of him that he was a nice guy at heart.

I hadn't even realized Evana had picked up a name from the girl's bowl.

"Thea Lockeheart!"

Oh goodness, I knew her. Practically everyone did. The girl was plain out insane. She'd stay in the shadows, and whenever people displeased her, they'd disappear a few days later, and their bodies would be found tortured and torn apart (often literally). The Peacekeepers never gave the beginning of an eff because us district people getting tortured was none of their concern. She'd never done anything rebellious, so they didn't care.

She walked onto the stage, giggling softly to herself. She peered at Evana with narrowed eyes as the latter held out the microphone to her with a somewhat startled expression. "You look funny." Thea said in crisp, short sentences. Evana simply stared at her before realizing this girl wasn't all that right in the head. She went over to the boy's bowl. I caught my breath. This was it. I had to do it now.

"Kendall Gray!"

"I volunteer!"

Everyone in my section turned to me with baffled looks, as though they expected me to grow a second head or something. I composed myself and willed my eyes to stay fixed on the stage as I walked ahead.

I tried to extol confidence in my steps as I climbed onto the stage. Evana took one look at me and coughed. Oh yeah. The blood. I probably looked as psycho as Thea.

"Um, I'm not hurt. And I didn't kill anyone, in my defense. I found an injured boy and had to take him to the hospital." I found myself explaining before Evana even asked me. She took a moment to process what I'd said, and smiled at me. "Well that's nice of you! Can we have your name, sweetheart?"

"Ryder Sparks." I said softly. "And anything you want to say? You're the second volunteer in a consecutive year from this district!" She asked again.

"I just… I want to live without having people look at me like I'm some fragile bird about to burst into tears. I want to live without fear of the monster I used to call my best friend." I said, catching Matrix's eye as he raised an eyebrow at me, almost challenging. I glared back.

"Well then, your tributes, District Five, Thea Lockeheart and Ryder Sparks!"

I turned to shake Thea's hand, but she simply poked at my blood-caked arm and sneered at me.

I promptly dropped my arm and let the Peacekeepers usher us to the waiting rooms.

My first visitors were obviously my family. My Father seemed confused and my mother seemed furious. "What the HELL were you thinking!? Is this all for that night? Honestly Ryder, if you're doing this because of a few scars-"

"UNBELIEVABLE!" I cried, cutting them off. They looked startled by my sudden outburst. But I couldn't help it. I'd been pushed over the edge. "Don't you understand, Mom, Dad? It's not physical! It's never been! Do you have any idea what that kind of trauma does to a person!? Well, obviously no, otherwise you would've sometime maybe asked whether or not I was sane or on the verge of breaking down!" My voice had risen, and I knew it. But I couldn't stand it any longer. "Leave." I ordered my parents.

"Ryder…" my father began. "LEAVE!" I yelled back. They jumped slightly, but walked out the door all the same. Maddy stayed. She took my face in her hands and kissed my forehead. "I know why you did it. I'm obviously not happy with my little brother going in there, but I understand. I really do. Ryder, I know you'll do well. And I know you'll come back to the life you deserve." She said, before hugging me a final time and walking out.

My next visitor was Cara, Matrix's sister. It was insane, how very very different the two siblings were. Cara loathed her brother and had tried to get him arrested when he'd hurt me, but obviously been unsuccessful. She was like a little sister to me, and one of my only friends.

"Ryder, I'm so freaking sorry!" she cried as she threw her hands around me. I clutched at her back, thankful for having someone to hold on to. "Cara, it isn't your fault. It really isn't. Matrix is a son of a-"

"I don't care about Matrix. What I care about is the fact that you're going in the Games. I know you can make it back Ryder. I know you can. You're strong and you're good-looking. You can do this, okay?" She was babbling now and even she knew it. She simply hugged me again, but our hug was broken by a Peacekeeper barging in and telling us our time was up.

Moments after the doors had closed, they opened again, only to reveal the one person who could make my blood boil.

Matrix.

"Oooh, our little Ryder's going into the Games, huh?" He mocked, as he shut the door behind him. I balled my fists but forced myself to stay calm. Matrix smirked. "That was an interesting move you pulled there with your little speech." He said, inching closer. He was a finger's distance away from me in an instant. He reached out and stroked my cheek, and I flinched, shutting my eyes tight. "Aw, you scared of being touched, Ryder? Well, I'm just here to say that when you're bleeding out to death in the Games, blood pouring from everywhere, I hope you think of me. Of what I did. And bleed some more, because-"

I cut him off by slamming him into the door and landing my fist on his face. "I'M SO EFFING DONE WITH YOU!" I screamed, landing blow after blow on his face. I had the element of surprise, but not for long. The door opened and we were both thrown off, but the Peacekeepers grabbed onto Matrix's shoulders and dragged him away, without so much as glancing at me.

I wouldn't live under fear anymore. I would live in a way which made me free. I would win that by winning the Games.

Or I would die trying.

 **Thea Lockeheart(17)-D5 Female:**

I couldn't really believe it. I had no idea how to feel. On one hand, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a knife and dig it into some tribute's back. On the other hand, I had to leave Wolfe. God knows what that boy would get himself into without me around to watch his back. And I would miss giving all those brats what they deserved. It used to be fun, watching their blood run down y hands as they begged for mercy. Not I guess I'd have to do it with other tributes.

I didn't expect any visitors. I mean, honestly, the people here were terrible, and I hated them. they'd try to be nice to me, and I simply couldn't stand it. I did expect Wolfe though. He had to come.

And he did.

He meekly opened the door and stepped in. I ran forward and gave him a hug, crushing his arms to his side, giggling. "Wolfie, I'm going into the Games! Then I'll see more blood, and even be rewarded for it, and we can live happily after that!" I cried cheerfully. Wolfe seemed uncomfortable and slightly afraid. He didn't say anything. He hadn't, ever since I'd killed our parents. He was voluntarily mute, but I didn't have a problem, not at all.

"Now, Wolfe, I want you to write down the names of anyone and everyone who bothers you, and then when I come back, I can take them to our big new house and teach them a good lesson! Everyone, okay? But try to stay away from people. You should never trust them. Even if they seem nice, they're just trying to get to you. They'll try to kill you. Stay in the house at all times, and don't go out even for school, okay? And-"

Wolfe shook my hands off. He looked back at me, pained and his eyes a little moist. I paused. Why was he looking like that? "Wolfe, did someone bother you again!?" I demanded. He shook his head and to my surprise, pushed me back. The shock only lasted for a few moments before I grabbed him again and slammed him against the wall. "TELL ME!" I demanded. The I realized once more he didn't speak, but I still kept him pressed to the wall. "When I come back, You're going to write the name down, okay?" I ordered him. I dropped him to the ground again, and he gave me that sad look again. He slowly made his way to the door. Just as he opened it, he looked back at me, and for the first time in nine years, spoke, his voice hoarse and hurt.

"In those Games, Thea, you'll know what our parents felt like when you murdered them."

~.~.~.

 **A/N: I KNOW OKAY TRUST ME I KNOW THIS IS LATE! I'm so freaking sorry for that. I know I always have some lame excuse, but trust me, I can't help the fact that my school's crazy and my finals are approaching and these exams are really freaking important. Updates will be really sporadic for the next month, but like I've said many times before. I will NOT give up on this.**

 **Um, I know the warning for gore kinda goes naturally with the Hunger Games, but I think that's only for in the Games, so if any chapter before the actual Games has gore or something, I'll put up a warning.**

 **I'd like to thank Embers to Ashes and Sally the Lioness for these tributes. Both of them were really interesting to write! Thea was interesting because… well… I think y'all know, and Ryder's emotions were a challenge I hope I fulfilled well! Do tell me how you thought I wrote them!**

 **Also, since one of my guest reviewers has asked this, I'm responding here. No, unfortunately I won't be writing the 59th Hunger Games. The thing is, the plot I designed for the story is for two parts, not three. HOWEVER. If after I finish this story I get an idea for another one, I might do a separate SYOT. Or maybe even a new series. No promises though. But this is only a sequel, there will be no third part. Extremely sorry, but I hope you understand! :)**

 **So what did you guys think of these two? Any one you liked better? What do you think will happen of them in the Games?**

 **And guys, seriously, I know I'm not the best author out here, and I know many of you are much better authors than myself. So if you feel there's something missing in my writing, let me know! I'd love suggestions on how to improve!**

 **Other than that, I can only thank you for being such amazing readers and reviewers! Seriously, 124 in six chapters you guys are so freaking wonderful I just hope I'm doing your characters justice in my writing! I cannot thank you guys enough of times for all this support you've shown me! :)**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard.**


	8. District Six Reapings

**Porter Latz (16)- D6 Male:**

"Porter, are you sure about this?" Reese asked as we sipped our respective beverages. I smirked. "Dude, we've done this a few hundred times before. Why ask me if I'm sure about this now?"

"Um, partly because that's the Head Peacekeeper we're talking about, and partly because today's Reapings Day. The Peacekeeping force is bound to be extra alert and strict today. We don't want you missing a limb, or worse, your freaking head." Jetta, my other friend explained to me. I rolled my eyes.

"You know I'm not going to listen. Why do you bother?" I asked them rhetorically, earning a sigh from both of them. Ryder, Reese's twin gave me a sideways glance. "You got the weapon?" He asked. I smirked yet again. "Yep. It's right in here." I picked up the small cage I'd been keeping near my feet off the ground and held it up so only we could see, sitting at our table.

Inside, the small, green lizard scurried around, obviously confused. I mean, I didn't really understand Lizard emotions, but I had a feeling four humans peering at it wasn't exactly the best sight for the poor thing. "Sorry little fella'. Gotta do this." I told it. Jetta raised her eyebrow at me. "Porter, you okay? You just apologized to a lizard." She said. I laughed.

"Jetta, I figured I owed the thing an apology for what I'm about to do to it. I mean, no one deserves to be in the vicinity of those monsters." My voice took on a tone of utter loathing as I glanced towards the Peacekeepers.

We were sitting in a normal coffee shop, And the Head peacekeeper and his assistant were sitting in a table not too far from us. Now, they usually went to the somewhat rich shops for their beverages and drinks, but they'd only get that luxury in the richer districts. Here in Six, even this small shop was one of the largest.

I slowly opened the soor of the cage and quickly caught the lizard by its slippery body before it managed to escape. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing, holding onto it, but I managed. I was determined. I hid the reptile casually behind my back and started walking over towards the Peacekeepers' table. I threw a look back at my friends. Ryder flashed me a thumbs up, while Reese and Jetta looked concerned and anxious.

I pretended to trip as I walked past the Peacekeepers' table, taking the opportunity to drop the Lizard into the helmet of the Head peacekeeper, which was hanging from a hook on the table. I quickly stood up and laughed good-naturedly. "Sorry guys, I'm just a terrible klutz." I shook my head in an 'apology', as the Peacekeepers shot me amused looks. They'd finished their food. I needed to get away.

I was only a few meters away when the Head Peacekeeper let out a cry as he put his helmet on. It took every ounce of will in me to not burst out laughing as he yanked his helmet off and pulled out the lizard from his hair.

However, my victory was short-lived, for the very next moment, I felt my collar being pulled up roughly. I shot my friends a look, telling them to run for it. They didn't waste time. With the Peacekeepers' attention on me, they managed to sneak away, but I had bigger priorities to focus my attention on at the moment.

The assistant was glowering down at me. Now, I was a tall guy for my age, but this guy was a freaking giant. I grinned weakly. "Um, hello?" I managed a small laugh.

"Think you're being funny, do ya'" He sneered as he dragged me over to the Table and pinned my face down onto it, taking my arms behind my back. I could feel the barrel of a gun being pressed to my neck, and I felt fear creep over me. This wasn't going as planned. My pranks never got me into so much trouble. I was too young, the Peacekeepers never hurt me that badly.

I was just starting to sweat, when a voice came from my right. "Arden, stop." It was the Head Peacekeeper, Derino. I could feel Arden's confusion. "Sir, this kid put a freaking lizard in your helmet? Are we supposed to let him go!?" He exclaimed.

I wanted to say _I wouldn't have too much of a problem with that_ , but I kept my mouth shut. I craned my neck as best as I could and saw Derino shaking his head with an exasperated expression. "No, but we have a rulebook to follow. We can't go around executing subjects under the age of eighteen unless they've performed theft, murder, or any other assault of a physical kind. Imagine explaining ourselves to the mayor. We killed him because of a lizard?"

I could tell Arden wanted to argue, but after a moment's hesitation, he pulled the gun barrel away from my neck and yanked me up. I smiled innocently at Derino. On seeing my face, recognition flashed across his elderly features and he groaned. "I should've known it was you. Porter, don't you ever get tired? I mean, if we didn't have a rulebook which I believed in so staunchly, you'd have been dead ten times over." He told me, his expression more tired than angry.

I didn't say anything. He rubbed his face. "I'll be calling your parents after the Reapings, and you'll be at the Peacekeepers' station, again, for like the millionth time. Assuming you don't get Reaped. Maybe a day behind the bars of the juvie would help you." He said. I almost laughed. "Call my parents? You should be surprised if they can find enough time to stop gushing over my sister to actually answer the phone." I shot back.

Derino shook his head. "Whatever kid. I'll be seeing your parents at the station. You're being let go because it's the Reapings and we can't detain anyone for the Reapings. But trust me, you haven't seen the end of this." He warned. Arden pushed me gruffly towards the exit, and I smirked to myself as I turned my back on the Peacekeepers. Mission was accomplished.

I didn't mind spending a day or two in lock-up. I'd done that before. I almost always got out after a one or two days, because my crimes were never bad enough to keep me longer than that. The only good thing about the Peacekeeping force here in Six was that they were more concerned with abiding by the rules than they were with intimidating us.

"And he returns in one piece!" Reese exclaimed as he and his brother tackled me into a hug. I laughed and returned it. Jetta rolled her eyes. "Porter, I swear, one of these days, you will be getting yourself killed."

I smirked at her once more. "Jetta, I haven't been 'killed' because of any of my previous, oh, billion rebellious activities. Why in the world would I be executed for a lizard?"

She gave me a small amused smile. "Well, you certainly will be for showing up late to the Reapings." She reminded me. Reese and Ryder patted my back as I nodded at Jetta and proceeded to walk away from them, after waving them good bye.

Now, many people asked me, why was I rebellious? Did I have some personal vendetta against the Capitol? Did I do it for revenge? Was I suicidal?

The answer was none of these. I was rebellious because I hated being oppressed. I hated having to follow around ground-hard rules and be like dumb, driven cattle. All we did was by a routine, fixed by the Capitol. We were no different than the animals they trained for their entertainment. We would go to work for them, we would learn what they wanted us to at school, we would follow their directions throughout our whole freaking life.

Rules were ridiculous. Now, I'm not saying discipline was bad. No, it wasn't. Having order was a good thing. But that had a limit. When order restricted freedom, it became tyranny. We had no freedom here. No freedom to speak for ourselves, no freedom to choose what we wanted to do when we grew up. Since we were born in this district, we had to get a job from this district. We learnt what they taught us, and we couldn't learn anything outside of that, even if our curiosity wanted us to learn more.

So I hated these rules. I hated them with a passion in my heart. And so I would go to any limit to break them, to show them up. They couldn't take away everything, and even though the people here had grown up accustomed to literally letting the Capitol take away their lives, I wasn't about to let the Capitol stop me from living my life the way I wanted to.

But that wasn't the only reason. No.

I had a family of four at home. One would think that with a small family, both kids would get the equal amount of attention, right? I thought so too. Well, I couldn't be more wrong.

No matter what I did, my younger sister Harleigh would always be better than me. The pretty, sweet, intelligent and every-good-adjective-in-the-entire-dictionary child of the family. Even if I got the same grades as her in most subjects, my parents would point out the one in which she did better and swoon over her. She would always get praised by the teachers because she always followed them around and acted like their freaking servant. I liked to be a happy-go-lucky guy. If a teacher needed my help, I would give it. I honestly didn't think the teachers needed my help making their own coffee.

But it wasn't as though my parents would understand that. So I took another path. Instead of trying to achieve good grades, I failed in my classes. My parents were called to school because of my acts of mischief. I wasn't an idiot, in fact, I was one of the more intelligent kids of my class, but I thought that if I got bad grades, my parents would give me the attention to lift them up again. Well, nope. That didn't happen. It only backfired. They ignored me more than ever.

So I adopted the last method possible. Becoming a petty rebel, doing little acts of trouble here and there, ending up at the Peacekeepers' station for days. My parents had started noticing me, even if it was only to reprimand me. I didn't care. I liked their attention. And if I was being true with myself, after being ignored for so long, I was fine with just about anyone's attention, be it my parents' concerned looks or the Peacekeepers' exasperated ones.

Some people said I was wrong in the head. I didn't agree. I just liked being noticed, was that so wrong?

I walked up the stairs to our small house and knocked on the door. We weren't extremely rich or anything, but not majority of Six's people were poor. I mean, we never had as much as One or Two, but we got on pretty well.

The door was opened by my mother, who took one look at my disheveled clothing and red cheek (from having my face pressed to a table) and groaned. "Again, Porter? What did you do now?"

I widened my eyes in mock surprise. "Oh my god, did you just, like, see me? Because, I'm sorry, this is a little new. Or wait, did I just magically transform into Harleigh that you're concerned about me now?" I snapped. My mother seemed slightly surprised before going back to her disappointed expression. "Porter, get up to your room and get ready. Harleigh's already absolutely dressed and looking as presentable as possible, and you look like a ruffian." I rolled my eyes and pushed past her.

"Mom, I would've gone up to my room even if you hadn't mentioned a little praise for your precious little Harleigh." I shot back as I stomped up the stairs to my room. I slammed the door shut and started rummaging through my closet, looking for something 'nice' to wear. Maybe if I looked good enough, they'd look at me.

The day my parents would give me the attention and love they gave Harleigh… well, I didn't see that day coming anywhere in the near future.

 **Dandi Derino (18)- D6 Female:**

My fencing blade clashed with the trainer's as I engaged him in yet another match. He was a very good trainer, probably one of the best. But I was no slouch either.

I slashed at his torso and he ducked, but in the process, he lowered his weapon. I locked my blade under his and pulled, but he had a firm grip. I simply pulled him towards me, giving him a chance to seize my hand that held the blade. He twisted me around and tried pulling out the weapon from my hand, but I wasn't about to let it go. I elbowed him in the stomach, sending him reeling back.

"Another round?" I smirked, holding out my weapon once again as the elder boy took off his helmet. He was one of the relatively new trainers, but he was also one of the most skilled. That's why they'd allowed him to be transferred here to Six as my personal trainer. He laughed and shook his head.

"I think that's enough for one day Dandi." He told me as he set his rapier down onto the stands. I smirked at him playfully. "What, you getting' tired?" I asked. He shook his head. "No, but I have no desire to over-train you and have you collapse at the Reapings out of exhaustion. Speaking of which, you need to start getting ready for the Reapings. I mean, the Head Peacekeeper's daughter usually looks pretty good at the Reapings eh?" he patted my shoulder. I laughed along with him light-heartedly as We exited the room in which we'd been training.

"You know fencing isn't just training for me. It's my passion. I like doing it." I told him. He stopped in front of my room and turned me to face him and gave me a kind smile. "I know. Trust me. I can see it in the way you hold the sword. I can see it isn't about the killing, for you. It's about the art of the activity. But the truth is, no matter how much you like it, there's a limit. You've done enough." He said.

I could tell he was serious, because I nodded. He ruffled my hair and turned around to walk his own way, as I walked into my room.

I smiled to myself as I closed the door. I went to y closet and picked out the dress I'd been keeping for the Reapings. Lindsay had gifted me this dress on my sixteenth birthday, telling me to wear this if I ever happened to volunteer for the Games. Well, I was going to volunteer today, so I had to wear this.

I ran to the washroom and scrubbed myself clean, because I didn't exactly want to show up in like the stinking, sweaty mess I was. Once I was satisfied I didn't look like something the cat would drag out of a dumpster, I dried myself off and slipped into the dress.

It was blue, and the whole bodice was of velvet, with a bow on my waist. The skirt of the dress was layer after layer, the first one being of velvet, while the others being net. It reached till slightly below my knees, and had a neckline of dark-colored flowers. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror as I twirled in front of it.

I let out a small laugh as I slipped mid-twirl and almost fell. I smiled again and reached out to my music player and switched it on, only to have soft music pour out of the speakers. Closed my eyes and straightened up. I spread out my hands, and found myself swaying to the music.

I let the notes of the song take control of my movements as I twirled and swerved to the melody. I liked this. I liked losing myself in dancing, letting all the worried go, simply being by myself and music, moving to the ensemble of the many different pitches. I jumped high as the music hit a high note, and landed on my feet, ending the move with swishing out my left leg. I turned to the right and moved my hand in a graceful arc, when I opened my eyes and stopped, facing the door.

In the doorway, stood my mother, looking at me with an expression which was somewhat a mixture between pride and love. I stopped and repositioned myself to a non-dancing move and quickly hit the stop button to the player. I felt my heart sink a little as the music stopped, but I knew I couldn't continue.

"Would you look at my little girl…" My mother said as she walked up to me and touched my cheek. "You're beautiful when you dance." She said. I smiled. "Does that mean I'm not pretty the other times?" I asked, jokingly. My mother shook her head. "No, other times we see what you look like externally. But when you dance, it's as though you enter a world of your own, and we can see what's in your heart. And that, Dandi, is true beauty." She stated.

I felt tears stinging my eyes as I hugged my mother. I cherished these few moments we had together, because between my training and my parent's jobs, we barely got time as a family. While it was true that my parents loved me with their whole hearts, they couldn't neglect their jobs, and I understood that. However, that didn't stop my heart from wanting to gobble up every moment of emotion I had with my parents and store it in my heart.

"Well, obviously, one's got to see whose daughter she is." I heard my father's deep voice come from the door way and I broke into a huge grin. I ran forward and threw my arms around him. "You came home early!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, Peacekeeping can wait for an hour. Arden's taking care of the Square for a while. I needed to meet my daughter before she volunteered." He said. He kissed the top of my head. I pulled away, but he still held my gaze.

"Dandi, I just want you to know how proud I am of you. It doesn't matter to me that you're going to be a volunteer. I don't care about the whole 'living up to standards' nonsense. What I'm proud of is you. I wanted my daughter to grow up into a beautiful woman, not just on the outside,, but on the inside too. And you've become more than I could ever ask for." He said.

I nodded. "But Dad, why're you telling me this now? It's as though you're saying good bye…" I faltered. Of course. I was volunteering for the Games. He was saying all this in case I didn't come back. "Dad, I'm going to try my hardest, okay? I'll try my hardest to come back and-"

"Dandi, I'm not worried about that. I have full confidence in you skills. All I'm saying is… well, I know we don't spend every moment together, and I know we're different from the other families, but I just want you to know that your mother and I love you." He said. I sniffed, refusing to let the insufferable tear that was tugging at the lining of my eye drop.

"Now, you know your father and I won't be able to come to your goodbyes. They don't allow Capitol officials in during goodbyes, but I know my daughter will do well in there. I have full faith in you Dandi." My mother said and she wrapped an arm around me and kissed the top of my head. "Now, enough of this," she added, laughing, "get ready and meet us downstairs. Your Father and I are waiting."

My parents gave me one last hug before exiting my room, leaving me all to myself. I paused for a moment before walking over to my desk and picking up the item I'd decided to take as my token. It showed me and another girl my age, both collapsed on the ground, konked off. I laughed seeing out exhausted expressions.

Lindsay Brandt had been my best friend, and worst enemy. We had been each other's biggest competitors in training, but also the other's closest confidante. I respected her more than I respected anyone else.

I wasn't originally from District Six. Born in District two, I had lived sixteen years of my life in that district. On the thirteenth one of those sixteen years, I had met Lindsay.

We never hit it off on the right note. We were always bickering, always messing with the other. I called Lindsay crazy because all she wanted to do was train. She called me a sissy because I was more into arts drama than fighting. But I did love fencing. One day, Lindsay challenged me to a duel. I obliged. We dueled for two days, but none of us emerged the winner. This picture was at the end of the second day, when we simply collapsed. After a day in the hospital, the two of us realized how much we respected the other.

Lindsay and I always had a condition. The show had to go on. One of us had to volunteer for the Games. For a long time, Lindsay had been the obvious choice. She was into the Games, she was fierce. Me, I was more artistic than fierce. I never really wanted to go into the Games. I wanted to grow up in District two, and become a better fencer and dancer, and teach fencing in the Academy. My goal had never been to win the Hunger Games.

But that all changed two years ago.

My father had been the assistant Peacekeeper in District two, but due to the death of the head Peacekeeper in Six, the Capitol had promoted him and transferred him to Six. When I'd gotten the news and told Lindsay, we'd been terrified at never being able to see each other again. But then, Lindsay had promised me to win the Games and visit this district regularly, after taking permission from the Capitol as a victor.

Fate wasn't on our side.

Because it wasn't until merely two months after I moved with my family to district six, that I got news of Lindsay through my father. They'd known about my friendship with her and thought to inform me that she'd et with a terrible accident. Her legs had to be amputated, and that wasn't even the worst part. She was now confined to a wheelchair, paralyzed from waist down, due to a fracture in her backbone. They said she'd gotten shot, but they hadn't specified how. I didn't care. All I knew was that my best friend could no longer fulfill her dream. And if Lindsay didn't win the Games, we would never see each other again.

I couldn't lose her. She was my best friend in the whole world, the person who understood me the most. The person who put up with my strange quirks and still loved me like I was their little sister. And I had a condition to fulfill.

Since Lindsay couldn't win the Games, I would.

I would volunteer for the Hunger Games, and I would do everything possible to win, so I could once again see my best friend, and also tell her how I fulfilled her dream.

I made my way down the stairs and met up with my parents, who gave me another hug. Our house was minutes of walking from the Square, so I found myself there in almost no time. I waved good bye to my parents and walked over to the lady to get my finger pricked. I barely felt the needle as it poked my skin and took my blood. The lady shooed me off, and I walked away after giving her a pleasant smile. She seemed slightly confused, but, I mean, she did sit there and take the blood of thousands of kids. A smile was probably something she didn't see too often.

Our escort, the young Azure climbed up onto the stage, but it was almost as though he could feel the nervous energy the crowd was exuding. He gave us an understanding smile and kept his introduction brief and walked over to the boy's bowl. He picked out a name, and read it out loud.

"Porter Latz!"

For a moment nothing happened, but then, a tall boy made his way out of the sixteen year old section. He stood at least five or six inches taller than me, with pale skin and messy brown hair, accompanied by elfish, child-like features. His expression was passive, but something about it hinted at the fact that he'd expected this. What was that about?

Azure patted the boy on the shoulder and picked out the name for the girl.

"Lara Jade?"

"I volunteer!" I made sure my voice held confidence, as I stepped out and started walking towards the stage. I could hear collective gasps, but sounds of recognization. They probably expected the Head Peacekeeper's daughter to volunteer.

I reached the stage and smiled at Azure and Porter. Azure returned the smile while Porter gave me an unsure and confused upturn of the lips. Seriously, why was everyone so confused when someone smiled at them?

"Your name?"

"Dandi Derino. I'm sure you know me ask the Head peacekeeper's daughter, and let e just say. If it's a show the Capitol want, it's a show I'll give them! After all, the show must go on!" I said cheerfully into the device.

I quickly shook hands with Porter and let myself be ushered inside the Justice building. My parents couldn't meet me in the waiting room, and my trainer would probably only give me more advice. I had already said my good byes.

But I had to come back. I had to come back to my parents, and to Lindsay. I had to fulfill her dream, and I had to meet her again.

 **Porter Latz (16)- D6 Male:**

Of course. I had pretty much expected it. I mean, the Peacekeepers probably convinced the Mayor to rig the Reapings. It wasn't as though they would just sit around and watch me be rebellious. It didn't make me regret my acts though. I still stood by my free thoughts.

My family was first ones to visit me. My mother was close to tears and my father looked shocked. I but back a bitter laugh.

"Wow, you actually recognized my name at the Reapings huh? Finally thought of your son?" I snapped. My mother grabbed my shoulders. "Porter, this is because of all those rebellious acts of yours, isn't it? Why, WHY did you bring this on yourself!?" She exclaimed. I almost stopped. We're those tears for me? Had I underestimated my parents' feelings? I was about to put my arms around my mother in a hug, when her next words ruined it all.

"Didn't you think about your family? What will happen now to Harleigh once we're gone? Who will take care of her!?"

My mouth fell open. I stood there for a moment, not quite knowing what to say. I mean, it was one thing ignoring me m whole life. It was another entirely to still be concerned about my sister when I had been reaped for the freaking Games.

I pushed her hands away from myself and stumbled back, speechless. I closed my eyes and forced my breathing to even out. I looked up at my parents with what I was sure we're tear filled eyes.

"You two are unbelievable." I said, my voice breaking. I never cried. Ever. But this was beyond the limit. "Porter, listen-"

"NO YOU LISTEN!" I yelled, "I cannot believe you two. Hello, Porter here, the son you've ignored pretty much your whole freaking life! Guess what, news flash, I'm going into the Hunger Games! Into a literal death match! Not your bloody Harleigh, so gee, I wonder whom you hold be concerned for! Oh, not me, no, you've never given a crap about me to begin with!" I yelled.

It was my parents turn to be speechless. Porter, we love you as much as Harleigh." They said, accompanied by a nod from said sister. But I think even they knew how false it sounded. I snorted. "Dont lie to yourself Dad. I'd be surprised if you ever even noticed you had a son." I looked them in the eye. "Well, I'll do the Peacekeepers job and tell you your time is over. You came to say good bye and tell me how stupid I was for harming your little daughter, so goodbye Mister and Mrs Latz." I said, my voice steely and deadly calm.

My parents' mouths hung open, but after a moment, they wrapped their arm around Harleigh and started walking away.

"Oh and one more thing." I called out after them. They turned back to me with re same expressions they'd started walking with. I smiled bitterly at them.

"Maybe if your son dies out in the Games, you'll notice the fact that he existed in the first place."

The Peackeeper ushered my parents out, and almost immediately my friends were inside, Jetta crying and the twins looking somewhere between distraught and angry. They pulled me into firm hugs, and held me, Jetta's tears wetting our shirts.

"Please, Porter, you have to try! Look, your strong and fleet-footed and you have a good mind, and-"

"Woah, Jetta, calm down there. This could be our last moment together. Will you just enjoy it?" I said with a sad smile. She wiped at her eyes and looked at me with stern eyes. "Porter, I want you to come back to us. Okay? Promise me you'll try." She ordered. "And don't you dare change that personality of yours. When I say want Porter back, I don't mean a shell of a human being whose soul was taken out in the Games."

I paused for a moment before nodding firmly. And I was being truthful.

Through my whole life, I hadnt allowed the Capitol to crush my free spirit or any of my freedom. Just because I was going into the Games...well, I wasn't about to let it change that.

~. ~. ~.

 **A/N: OKAY, I know, I'm the worst updater, and I really truly apologize. Seriously. But I mean, between studies and studies and studies and preparing for the finals, my mind has been completely busy. I'm literally staying up till 4 AM just because I wanted to get this out today. So please guys, I really hope you understand my situation.**

 **But, on a happier note, we are half way through the Reapings! YAY! Now, the next chapter will be something of an update on our rebels and that while situation, because, ya know, I kinda gotta let you guys in on that too, eh? And I think I already said this, but the rebel plot does play a very crucial part in the story guys, so I hope you all will like what I have planned! :)**

 **However, some bad news is, there will be very few updates for the next month. Like, I'm saying maybe one or two maximum, because I have my exams, and well, these exams are hella crucial, so these are some seriously important things. I know, I wanna slap me too, but please bear with me guys. I promise I'll be back and running very soon, but the next month will have relatively few updates.**

 **Speaking of which, and this is going to sound unpleasant, stuck-up, rude and probably a whole bunch of other nasty things, so I apologize in advance. I noticed that the last chapter had gotten a relatively less amount of reviews... PLEASE DONT GET ME WRONG I LOVE EVERY SINLE REVIEW. Like, even a single review makes me smile the trademark Wizard Smile, and makes me hella happy. So please do not think I'm complaining. I just wanted tosay, if there's something wrong with my writing, please let me know! Iwould love I become a better writer, and if you think my writing lacks in any way, do tell me how to improve myself! Seriously, I love suggestions! Again, I cherish every single review, so please do not think I'm complaining! I can never thank you guys enough for giving me so many reviews so quickly along with so much support. I appreciate it with my heart.**

 **Okay, Wizard, shut up now. *shuts up***

 **Well, I... *ahem***

 **So anyways, what did you think of the tributes from Six? Anything about them that stuck out? What do you think will happen to them in the Capitol and Games? Lemme know what you guys thought of the chapter! :)**

 **Oh and I forgot to wrte this in the previous chapter, but Felix breaking the glass of water was a reference to Lawson breaking theglass of water before the Games. I thought that was when Lawson first showed vulnerability (also when he first met Lissy, there goes my heart, shatterig into a million pieces, bye bye Heart) and I wanted to show that Felix was also vulnerable. Or I mean, I hope it showed that. Idk, I suck at symbolism. But shout-out to Reader and deny for catching it correctly!**

 **Yes, this was me shutting up. *shakes head***

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard.**


	9. The rebels

**The Capitol:**

 **The day before the Reapings:**

 **Rayne Hale (25)- Head of Traps and Mutts; Gamemaker:**

I sat stiring my tea which was already saturated with sugar. I didn't even really care about drinking it, it was just a way to keep my fingers moving and my attention focused. I wanted to smack Heathers in his face, but unfortunately, as much as I hated to admit it, he was at a higher position than I was.

Ever since Thaddeus had joined Thirteen, there had been a vacancy. I had taken his spot, so my place was vacant. All the other Gamemakers had some other role, so we couldn't fill that. Heathers insisted we needed to deal with this later, given our other... issues.

However, I simply didn't see the need. I didn't need an assistant. I was perfect efficient all by myself. But again, Heathers was obstinate, and he had the backing of President Snow. Not something I particularly liked. A rift between Heathers and Snow was only in my benefit.

The door to my room opened, and in walked Heathers, successfully stealing my focus. I groaned and stood up. Heathers wasn't oblivious to my thoughts about this appointment. But he obviously chose to remain stubborn. I walked up to him and noticed the big snarky grin he had on. He was obviously proud with the candidate he'd chosen.

"So? Where is he?" I asked, sounding almost bored. I was hoping he'd take the hint, but no such luck. He simply grinned wider. "You can come on in!" He ordered to someone outside the door. The said person walked in, and to say I was taken aback was an understatement.

The boy couldn't have been older than eighteen, with a tall but lithe frame, and light blonde hair, with streaks of brown. He had startling blue eyes and high cheekbones, with childish, sweet looks. But what struck me the most was his age. Even when Thaddeus and I had joined, we'd been twenty, but this was a kid for God's sake!

"Rayne, meet Lance Audayne, your new assistant." Heathers announced. Lance flashed me an easy-going yet respectful smile and stuck out his hand. I returned a tight-lipped smile of my own and shook it. No doubt, I got the intelligent aura which this boy exuded, but he was sill too young for this.

"Lance, it's wonderful to meet you. I know that since you've chosen him, Heathers, he must be very qualified. However, with no offence whatsoever, he seems slightly too young for this..."I stated.

Heathers shrugged. "He was the most qualified among all the other candidates in the selection. And I don't care about age as long as they can give me good results. And the mutt idea he had was almost as good as yours." Heathers explained.

Lance looked at me once again with more respect that he should've, but I didnt mind. People looking up to me was something I liked. "So this selection... the candidates had to design a mutt?" I asked Heathers. He nodded. "And the best one was appointed." He looked at Lance. "You'll start working on the other ideas with Rayne from tomorrow."

Lance gave me another smile. "Ma'am, it'll be an honour working with you." I nodded authoritatively. "I look forward to working with you too Lance. Don't let me down." My voice had a tone of finality. Lance took the hint and shook both of our hands again before exiting the room.

I looked at Heathers. "He'll be good for this, trust me." He assured me. I shrugged, not really caring.

"That doesnt matter right now. We need to focus on the other plan right now." I told him. He paused for a moment, then smirked.

"You're right. And this time, we'll succeed. Just because Thaddes and Thirteen succeeded in foiling the first attempt, doesn't mean they'll do it this time. This time, we will get through with this plan." He put forth. I laughed.

Thirteen had no idea what was coming their way.

* * *

 **The morning of the Reapings:**

 **Thaddeus Sheen (25)- Victor of the Forty-eighth Hunger Games** :

I carefully put my index finger on the trigger of the gun, shutting one eye and focusing the entirety of my gaze on the target in front of me. I blanked out everything else and pulled the trigger.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

I kept firing, at the same exact spot. Just at the heart. Shot after shot, bullet after bullet pierced the body of the dummy in the said place, creating a hole as one bullet landed on another. I could feel my teeth grit against each other as flashes of the previous year danced in front of my eyes. I'd once been shot exactly like this, by a person holding a gun very similar to mine.

As I fired the last bullet, it ripped through the hole in the dummy and embedded itself in the far wall. I set down my gun, but her face wasn't leaving me. I could still hear her words as though they were being said right now. Each time I thought of her was like reopening the wound in my heart. I could feel my vision going red, and my hands shook slightly. I needed an outlet for my anger.

I spotted a knife lying a few inches from my hand and in an instant, it was being twirled in my fingers. Without even thinking, I threw it with all the force I could muster, trying to put all of my anger and hatred into the shot. I'd underestimated my strength though, because the knife found its target in the dummy's head, and with the force I had thrown it, the dummy's head came clean off and rolled away on the ground.

A chuckle behind my snapped my attention away from my practice.

"Thaddeus, son, you're going to have to find another way to let out your anger." Said the President of Thirteen, Alma Coin. She placed her hand on the table and gave me a formal yet somewhat amused smile. "I'm afraid we'll be short on dummies if this continues. That's the fifth one you've completely wrecked." She paused and glanced up at me. "In a matter of two days."

I took off my gloves I'd worn for training and looked away to the side, feeling slightly awkward. "I-I'm sorry. It won't happen again." I assured her. She let out a little sound of laughter and walked up to me to place her hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her to see what I could describe as understanding laced with reprimand in her eyes.

"Thaddeus, I know what this is. I know it isn't easy, and I know why you're training harder. But really, you're pushing yourself way too hard. You're one of our most skilled soldiers, and we honestly can't have you collapse out of exhaustion." She stated.

I nodded, understanding her words. She smiled again. "I think that's enough training for one day. And didn't you have a call with someone?" She reminded me. I managed a small grin. "Yeah, I do. I remember." I confirmed. She gave me a curt nod and turned away to walk down a long corridor, probably to her office. To be honest, I respected Coin, for her way of holding everything together, but sometimes, I couldn't figure her out. At times she could be really cold, downright indifferent, and at others she seemed caring and kind.

Sighing once again, I put away my training equipment and walked out of the room, down another corridor, to the elevator that would take me to my room.

These hallways, even after a whole year of walking through them, seemed unfamiliar, and a cold reminder that if I even stepped foot out of thirteen unguarded, I'd be executed on sight. That tends to happen when you're the murderer of the former president of Panem.

It had all started when Bruce Heathers had gotten the genius idea of designing a virus to terminate Thirteen. For the record, Thirteen had signed a peace treaty with the capitol, a treaty of mutual non-aggression. Thirteen had been minding their own business, but Heathers was paranoid to the extent of crazy. He had this bizarre idea that Thirteen was simply taking their time, looking for the right opportunity to spark up a rebellion against them.

With that idea planted in his head, he convinced Campus Leor, the previous president, that they needed to put a stop to this. And that gave birth to another one of Heathers' amazing ideas. He created a virus which spread like wildfire, and once someone contracted it, it would literally eat up their internal organs and basically their whole body, until they were nothing but a pile of bones; in a matter of mere seconds.

They needed to launch the attack on thirteen, but without being seen or detected. So they approached me.

Thaddeus Sheen, the victor of the forty-eighth Hunger Games. I hadn't been one of those people who simply picked up a sword and slaughtered everyone. Nor had I been like Colt from last year, not killing anyone unless forced to. I'd taken a different method. From a very young age, I'd been good with traps. I was always the boy who could blend into shadows so well, almost no one would notice I was there. I was known for my stealth in my Games, and that had been what I'd used as my main weapon.

I'd set up traps around the arena, and stayed hidden in the foliage. Once a tribute got caught in the traps, I'd steal their supplies, and on rare occasions, I would stick a knife into their skulls. I wasn't proud of it. I don't think any of the normal victors were. But I had to do it; to return to my family, to return to my best friend, Rayne Hale.

However, soon thereafter, I was told the Capitol wanted me as a Gamemaker. Having won my Games literally based off my traps, they wanted me to be the head of the Traps and Mutts department. I would design all the traps and the mutts, and someone else would implement them. Rank wise, I was just below Bruce Heathers himself. Rayne had been my assistant.

Heathers and Leor had found me to be qualified to formulate a stealth attack on Thirteen. Now, I wasn't going to lie, it wasn't the fact that it was difficult to do such a thing that deterred me. It was the fact that I was needed to make a plan to kill thousands of innocent people.

I had killed people in my Games, I had killed people during my time of being a Gamemaker. All of them still haunted my dreams at night. The guilt was still fresh in my heart. I couldn't bear killing thousands of others. And the virus wouldn't stay contained in Thirteen. It would spread, and take out at least four of the outer districts. I couldn't let so many innocent people die. I was done with the Capitol and their disgusting ways. I was done killing people. So I made up my mind to stop them.

I got together with a few of the other victors, such as Kimaya Canterstein and Dane Evans, and made a plan to stop the virus, which Heathers called the Parasite. The virus had been kept in a safe, with a code only a few people knew. One of the tributes in the Games, Almiro Fitzroy of District One, had come to know of the code, and we needed that code on all costs.

So we did the logical thing. I blew Almiro's cannon early, and we went in the Hovercraft and took him out from the arena. With Kimi's excellent healing skills, he was soon able to tell us the said code. Then, it was only a matter of breaking into the safe. Our plan had been executed well, but we still needed the formula for the virus, which was in the President's cabin. Unfortunately, when we went in, Dane and I, the President obviously saw us. I did the only thing possible. I put a bullet in his head.

That's when things had gone into chaos. Minutes later, a few dozen peacekeepers marched into the president's office, and though I'd managed to make it look like Dane was innocent by knocking him out, I had nowhere to escape. I had managed to do so by jumping out a window onto the plank of the Hovercraft we had, but not before knowing who it was who had led the peacekeepers into the Room.

My best friend, Rayne Hale.

Rayne's betrayal was still fresh in my heart. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't forget it. I couldn't close the wound. We had been friends for twenty years, and she hadn't once hesitated in betraying me. People told me to get over it, but how could one get over twenty years worth of friendship and trust in less than one year?

So after that fiasco, Thirteen had established another pact of non-aggression with the capitol. However, I wouldn't trust them for anything.

The Capitol was a bunch of cruel, bloodthirsty monsters. And I knew Heathers. He was the worst of them all. He wouldn't stop at anything to get what he wanted. And if he had Rayne at his side, he was practically invincible.

Without realizing, I had reached my floor. The opening of the elevator doors drew me out from my thoughts I stepped out into the cold gray atmosphere of the hallways of Thirteen. We had no choice. Having been underground, this was the best we could do, and I wasn't complaining. It didn't matter to me where I stayed. What mattered to me was who I stayed with.

I opened the door to my room and without even thinking about it, let a huge smile cross my face. I couldn't help it.

Seeing my parents' faces would brighten me up even during the worst of times.

"Goodness boy, finally made it back, did you?" Father asked as he walked up to wrap me in a hug. I laughed and pulled away. "Dad, you know I have to train harder nowadays. I don't have much of a choice." I stated.

"I won't argue with that, but we hardly see you. You're gone before we wake up and return after we fall asleep." My mother's kind voice was harmony to my ears. I kneeled down in front of her as she patted my cheek. She kissed the top of my head as she gazed at me with the most loving gaze I could ever ask for. "Look at that. My little boy's growing up." She said. I laughed yet again.

"Mom, that's the most cliché dialogue in the history of cliché dialogues. And honestly, I'd twenty-five, I'd say I've grown up quite some time back." I smiled. My mother placed her hands on her wheelchair as I stood up. She'd lost the ability to walk in an unfortunate accident back in my home District, Five, and when I asked the Capitol to cure her, they kept putting it off until we lost hope with them.

"I have to go inside for a call. I'll be back soon, okay?" I called after my parents as I headed into the room where I would take the call.

I wasn't the only one who had come to Thirteen. During the execution of our plan to stop the Parasite, we'd picked up many recruits. Matthew Mitchell, the best friend of last year's second placement, Nick Noelle. Clos Diaminite, Almiro's boyfriend. Colt Marshall and his friends were also part of this, but they played a mostly passive role. Dane Evans, the victor of the fifty-sixth Hunger Games. And Kimi of course, who'd been part of the plan from the beginning.

Other than the victors (with the exception of yours truly), all of the people had taken refuge in Thirteen, along with their families.

I made my way over to the large screen in the room, and sat down in front of it, the chair cold from having been vacant for so long. I needed to call Kimi to discuss my plan with her. This plan had been discussed by the authorities of Thirteen, and had already been set into motion. I just needed to inform Kimi of it.

Typing a few buttons on the keypad, I waited patiently as the screen filled with static, which was soon replaced by the face of Kimi Canterstein. Being Kimi, she was always in a good mood. I'd never seen that smile off her face. Her red hair had been done up in an intricate bun, with a few strands brushing her face, and her blue eyes sparkled slightly. She had on a red dress, which complimented her hair very well, and looked like she'd spent a while on her appearance.

"Why do you look like that?" I asked. She stared at me for a moment, then rolled her eyes.

"Seriously Thaddeus? Seriously? After six months, I get a message that you'll call me. You're about an hour late, by the way, and the first thing you ask is why I look like this?" She said disapprovingly. When she didn't get a response from me, she huffed. "It's Reapings Day, and the victors kind of have to look presentable."

I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Well…. Um… you… you don't look all that terrible." I managed. She raised an eyebrow. "What did you just say?" she asked a hint of doubt in her voice. I rolled my eyes in return. "You know exactly what I said Kimi, and you're not getting me to repeat that. Anyways, I called for another purpose." Kimi smiled and nodded, telling me to continue.

"We both know this is the time of the Games. That means the Districts will be so focused on the Games, that they won't pay much attention to the capitol. And the president too will be busy monitoring the Games, and keeping the Capitol under control. This is the perfect opportunity Rayne and Heathers need to plan something."

Kimi was gazing at me intently. "I know Heathers and Rayne. When they want something, they stop at nothing to get it. If they want to destroy Thirteen, they wont stop trying until they succeed, and now is the best time to try something. I don't know for sure, but there is a high possibility they're planning something." I told her. She nodded her assent.

"That's why Colt and I are there. Even Dane's with us. We'll keep an eye out, report to you if anything happens." She said. I shook my head. "Kimi, I know you three are as efficient as we can get, but the thing is, the Victor's movements are restricted. There are many places they can't go. Those are places only a Gamemaker can go in." I let a smirk cross my face.

"So I think you can guess what we did." I said. Kimi's eyes widened as it dawned on her. On the left side of my screen, a red blip caught my attention and my smile grew wider. "How about we say hello to the third party in this call. Our little friend in the capitol." I clicked the blip.

Immediately the person's picture took up half the screen, and Kimi's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets.

"Hello there Lance." I laughed. I turned to Kimi. "Or, as you and I know him, Matthew Mitchell."

Kimi looked between the two of us as I smirked at Matt. He still look like the same kid I had recruited a year ago, except now, as a part of his disguise, his blond hair now had a few brown streaks in them, and his right ear was pierced. He laughed at Kimi's appalled expression. "Hey there Kimi." He got out.

It was only a moment before Kimi gathered her wits.

"What… the… HELL IS THIS!?" She screamed. I flinched and Matt jumped back in his seat.

"Um, the plan?" I answered. Kimi glared at me. "Explain." She ordered.

"Well, since Rayne took over my spot, her spot was empty. And I knew for a fact that they hadn't taken a new Gamemaker for that spot, from having hacked into their accounts. I also knew that Heathers would probably hold some kind of selection to choose Rayne's assistant, and that's where Matt came in. We disguised him and snuck him into the Capitol from one of the secret routes I knew from my time of five years living there. He competed in the selection, and as we can see, got selected." I explained. Kimi looked like she was about to say something, but I stopped her.

"Kimi, Matt is the only one Rayne wouldn't recognize. And for the record, this was all his idea. He's going to fill in the spot of Rayne's assistant, and anything he overhears Rayne and Heathers discussing, he'll immediately report to us." I looked at Matt. "Everything's good there, right?" I asked.

He nodded. "Everything's fine. Rayne doesn't suspect me, and Heathers has apparently already taken a liking. I'll take a while, but I'll blend in. But right now, Thaddeus, I have to go. Staying away from discussions with the Games mere days away is gonna arouse some suspicion. But don't worry, I'll keep in contact." He said. We exchanged formal nods and his message clicked shut.

"Thaddeus…" Kimi began. She looked slightly scared, and very doubtful. "For all its worth, it's an excellent plan. But it's also very risky. Matt could be in serious danger if they find out." She said.

"He's not in any less danger than you, Dane and Colt. Which brings me to the other point I had to tell you about." I responded. She waited for me to go on. I sighed.

"Kimi, I'm not oblivious to the fact that what we're doing is dangerous. In the Capitol, I'm Public Enemy number One. Almiro is a survivor of the Games, which is illegal. Matt is a spy, and you guys are aligned with Thirteen. But you asked for this, so the only thing I can tell you is… be careful." I said. Kimi smiled at me through her unsure feeling about the plan, and the surprise at being informed about it in such a manner. "Thaddeus, I know. Okay? I know I have to be careful, and so does everyone else. I still think the plan is risky, but I know it's the best option we have." She assured me.

"No, Kimi, you don't know Rayne and Heathers. They don't kill people. They suck the life out of them bit by bit. I've seen what Heathers can do to people, and with Rayne's ideas, he's got a huge advantage. If he finds out about you guys, he'll torture you for information and give you a slow, painful death. I was reluctant about sending Matt in too, but he's relatively safer. Almost no one knows him. You guys are more prone to suspicion. So be careful." I said, my voice firmer. Kimi smiled again, this time with much more confidence.

"You can be sure I will."

With that, she cut the call, and the screen returned to its previous blank state.

I let out a breath and set to work on some of the weapons ideas I'd been working on. In case of an actual war, we needed to be prepared. I needed to work on the positioning of our missiles. I hadn't noticed my mother wheel herself into the room.

"So, that was Kimi?" she asked. I nodded, only half paying attention to what she was saying. This certain missile seemed to be in an odd position…

"She's pretty." Mother commented.

"Hmm…" I responded absent-mindedly. A split second later I realized what she'd said and what I'd responded with, and my eyes grew bigger. "Wait, no, what?" I turned to face her. "I didn't mean…" I ran out of words.

She chuckled. "So what's all this about?" She asked, pointing towards the pile of papers on the tables. I shrugged. "Repositioning some of the missile launchers we have. We should take out as many Capitol planes with as less ammunition as possible." I answered. Mother's expression turned serious.

"You think they'll attack us again?" she asked, her voice wavering a bit. I looked at the worry deep seated in the creases on her forehead, the way her eyes lost some of their mirth, and I gave her a reassuring smile.

"No, Mom. They'll _try_ to attack us. Because I'll do everything possible to stop them."

~.~.~.~.

 **A/N: Yes. I know. Trust me, I know.**

 **I know it's been a few centuries since I updated, but trust me, I haven't given up on this story or even thought about that. As you know from the previous chapter, I have my exams now, and in fact, they're still on. But I had a holiday, and decided to stay up. So now I'm updating.**

 **Also, yes, I know this wasn't a Reapings chapter, but again, I had specified that in the previous update. However, I do sincerely apologize for the extremely slow update and non-Reapings. The thing is, the plot influences the story quiet a lot, so I thought it was needed to give an update on that too. I know some of you may be frustrated or not getting a Reaping chapter and I do apologize. Really.**

 **However, here is the update on our rebels! Matt is incognito!If there was any confusion, Matt is Lance, the new Gamemaker, and he's a spy for Thirteen. So... yep!**

 **Also, I wanted to address something. I noticed many people for the last chapter had expressed their concerns about Dandi's father being a Peacekeeper transferred from Two. Now, please, do not get me wrong, and I apologize in advance if this is vain or offensive, because I sincerely don't mean to be so.**

 **In the last story, Lawson was the son of the Head Peacekeeper, so I thought I'd established that I wasn't following that rule in the books. A lot of this story doesn't follow cannon, otherwise the scopes of the victors would be very limited. Also, about moving the districts, I know in the books Katniss said it wasn't allowed, but I'm also pretty sure she said that unless it was with the Capitol's permission. And from what I remembered, most of the Peacekeepers were from Two, and were sent to other districts. And even if this interpretation of mine is wrong, would it really harm to ignore that rule?**

 **This being said, I love every single review you all give me, and each one makes me feel so happy that people are reading my work. Seriously. Again, my apologies if I offended anyone, I was just clearing things up. Please do not take offence. I respect each and every one of you and every review is like a brownie dunked in chocolate ice cream for me. I love hearing from you guys.**

 **I know this wasn't a Reapings chapter, but I would love it if you guys still reviewed and told me what you guys thought of the plot! :D what do you think Rayne and Heathers are planning? And what is your opinion of Thaddeus? For the people who haven read the previous story, what did you think of the plot?**

 **Seriously, I love hearing from you guys and would love to know your thoughts! Do tell me how I can improve as a writer! I know that scope is pretty blopping big! XD**

 **The next update will probably be at the end of next week, but if and only if I get time from all this truckload of studies, I'll update before that. Thanks for being so supportive and patient guys... really, it's so much more than what I could ask for.**

 **Other than that, I hope you liked the chapter, and have a happy day or night depending on where you are and keep that smile on your faces! :)**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard.**


	10. District Seven Reapings

**District Seven Reapings:**

 **Mackenzie Dupree(12)- D7 Female:**

 _The grass is soft under my feet. It tickles my soles and makes me giggle. I sit in the front yard of my house, a thick book in my hand, leaning against a pillar as the wind whips my hair about my face. In front of me, I see other children my age, playing around, laughing. Though I'm not exactly an extroverted person that I'll join them, I still find some joy in simply watching them._

 _A hand on my shoulder makes me look up to see my mother's face. Her kind eyes, her warm smile. The wrinkles beside her eyes whenever she gave that pleasant expression makes me feel warm right down to my toes. She gets down on her knees beside me and peers into my book, seeming amused and curious as to what I'm reading. She starts asking me about it, but I cut her off by leaning against her shoulder, and let a cheerful laugh escape my throat as her hand wraps around me, enveloping me in her warmth._

 _Barely has the embrace begun, when I feel myself beginning to fade into darkness._

My eyelids lifted themselves open as I woke up. I sighed softly to myself. I wanted my mother's touch to linger, I wanted to feel that warmth again. However, it was just a dream. It wasn't real. That would never happen in real life.

I was glad I'd just woken up. Somedays I would wake up screaming. Others I would wake up crying. On rare occasions, I would wake up with an air of serenity. I looked to my side to see the sunlight threatening to break through the drawn curtains, a reminder of what day it was.

I'd never been afraid of Reapings Day. This was my first Reapings, but I wasn't afraid at all. I had one slip in there. District Seven may not have been as large as Two or One, but it was still a fairly large district. One slip out of thousands was a hard one to pick.

No, the Reapings didn't terrify me. Not as much as the Games did.

I reached out onto my bed-stand and fingered the heavy book I was currently reading. People say you live only once on this planet, but through books, you can live a thousand lives. Well, I didn't disagree. I escaped this world through my books. I ventured to unknown lands, and inhabited the most remote places. I had laughed with the characters and experienced their problems and triumphs as my own. In many ways, my books were my home. Home was a place where one found themselves to be comfortable. Where one would find solace and peace.

That certainly couldn't be said for the brick structure I called a house.

I closed my eyes, but I knew I had to get out of bed soon. In Seven, the Reapings were held at a reasonable time in the afternoon. Even then, I wanted to have a nice walk before I went to those morbid gatherings where the only expression on everyone's face was worry. Well, that and fear.

I slipped my feet into the light blue slipped by my bed side and pulled myself off the comfort of the mattress. I was about to start towards the washroom, when outside my room, I heard footsteps. Not approaching me, more like crossing my room. It sounded suspiciously close to heels.

There was no one part of our family who would wear heels in the house.

I felt tears stinging my eyes as I realized what this meant.

It was obviously my father, at it again. I knew this was probably some other young starving woman of the district, looking to secure some money for her family, and which family was better off than ours? Seeing as to how it was morning, she was probably leaving after her night with my father. Thankfully I'd gone to sleep early the previous day. I didn't want to see my father and some other lady….

I felt the tears as they dripped down my cheeks. I wanted to rage and cry, but I didn't. What good would it do anyway? It wouldn't change the past, it wouldn't reverse time. It wouldn't make my situation any better, so it was useless.

Many kids would think that being the mayor's daughter meant I had everything one could ask for.

Well, I did. Everything except a family and by extension, happiness.

Nothing mattered to my father. He didn't care, as long as he got his… _recreation_. I felt ashamed to even think that way, but just because I was young, it was not lost on me what would happen at night. It disgusted every inch of my being, but there was nothing I could do about it. I had pleaded with him, many times. I had cried, forsaken food, locked myself up as protest. Nothing affected him.

I wanted my mother back. I wanted the comfort of having my parents kiss me goodbye as I went to school, I wanted a _family_. People who would love me and let me share my feelings. People who would _care_ if I lived or died.

It wasn't as though I had much of a family to begin with. My father was always out on the nights, and it didn't take my mother long to realize what he was out doing. However, she couldn't say anything about it. She couldn't even leave the mayor, because she'd probably be executed, so she found another outlet for her anger.

I never recalled her without a bottle of whisky in her hands. She'd down at least two or three in a day, and was almost always passed out on the sofa or one of the beds. My father carried on as usual. No one cared what I went through. Seeing my father come home laughing, while my mother cried herself to sleep, drunk.

When I had been even younger, I would share all of my stories with my mother. I would tell her of every book I read. But after my mother found out about my father, that all changed. She didn't pay attention to me anymore. Her only solace was her alcohol. Her replies whenever I tried to strike up a conversation were incoherent and unintelligible. She reeked of drinks rather than her old smell of soft lavender. My father was rarely in the house to begin with.

Not even when I found my mother lying on the couch with a half-emptied bottle of whisky, her pulse gone, did he care. I remembered that day so vividly. It was imprinted on the back of my eyelids. Her closed eyes, her open mouth, the way she'd thrown up all over herself. It was disgusting, horrifying and scarring. I hadn't remembered screaming, but the next thing I knew, I was in the corner with my hands over my eyes, and the servant was trying to offer me a glass of water while my father watched the Peacekeepers carry away my mother's body. He didn't care that she'd overdosed on alcohol. He cared that she'd endangered his reputation.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and sniffled. I had made it to the washroom, and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked very different from the rest of the district, with my red hair and dark blue eyes. My hair was shoulder length and straight. My eyes were big, but they had a sparkle in them. A sparkle that had been reignited by my books. I was small, at only five three, with a very thing build. One could even count my ribs if I wore clothing too tight. Obviously I wasn't underfed, I just stayed like this. I looked sweet enough, but my looks weren't about to get me anywhere.

I splashed my face with the water and forced the memories of my family out of my mind and focused on remembering the book I was reading. It was a fantasy about a boy who found a dragon egg. I hadn't read that far, but it seemed interesting enough.

I quickly washed up and headed out, to my wardrobe. I had a collection of dressed to choose from, but I knew what I was going to wear today. I smiled softly as I picked out the dress by the hanger. It was midnight blue, with buttons all down the front. Ribbons graced the waistline and a ribbon was drawn into an intricate bow just at the neckline. It looked a bit childish, but I was only twelve. After what my daily routine was, I was allowed a little childish.

I slipped it on and pulled my hair back into a ponytail, and tied it with a band of the same color. I picked up the book I was reading, along with a thin colorful string bracelet. I had made it on a rainy day when I was bored at home and had nothing to read.

I stepped out of the room, satisfied with my appearance, and so did my father, from his. He was dressed impeccably in a gray tuxedo and trousers, and he glanced my way with a crisp, forced smile. He stepped forward, possibly to straighten my bow, or tell me something else, but stopped at the glare I gave him.

Then, without another word, I walked right past him, down to the kitchen.

 **Gideon Yeh (17)- D7 Male:**

A hand on my shoulder woke me from my dream. I didn't even have to look at who it was to know. The delicate and loving touch could only belong to one person. I smiled through squinted eyes as the sunlight made it hard to see.

"Hey mom…" I muttered, my speech slightly slurry from sleep. However, my mother's chuckle was clear. "Wake up Gideon. You're going to be late for the Reapings." She said softly. I groaned, but it sounded playful enough. Mother patted my shoulder and let me be; the only indication that she'd left the room was the click of the door as she closed it on her way out.

I knew what day it was. It was kind of hard to forget the day when two innocent kids would be sent into the arena to fight to their deaths. However, I didn't get when people spent all their time moping and worrying about the Reapings. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying one shouldn't worry about their possible death, but it wasn't worth throwing the rest of your life in that worry.

I believed that what would happen would happen. There was no changing it. If luck was on your side, with a little skill, anyone could win the Games. Anything could happen in anyone's lives, and we had no right to control it. So why should we spend time worrying about something that wasn't in our hands?

It all came down to fate, really. Whatever was written in our fate would happen. We couldn't change it, and we couldn't run away from it, so we only had to accept it. However, along with acceptance also came adaptation. We had to adapt to whatever life threw our way. We couldn't sit around and regret when our situation was bad, and we couldn't neglect everything else when our situation was good. We had to fulfill our responsibilities, and keep adapting.

I let a wry chuckle escape me. Geez, I'd just woken up, and now all these thoughts were running through my head. I must've been even slightly affected by all the worry rippling through Seven. I shook my head and smiled at the small mirror located in front of me. We. Couldn't afford luxuries, but we could afford this small thing.

I measured my reflection in the mirror. I looked slightly younger than my seventeed years of age, with spiky raven hair and thin, slanted brown eyes. I had a light complexion, and a round face, with warm features. I wasn't handsome, but I liked to think I gave off a warm aura. Well, at least, that was what my girlfriend would tell me.

I slid out of bed and quickly made my way over to the washroom to freshen up. I needed to look better than a zombie out of bed.

It didn't take me more than a few minutes, and after the said time, I was perched on the site of my bed, simply thinking. I liked doing that. Calmly sit in in a place and thinking. I loved fun, it wasn't that. But peace was also something that made me feel happy. I loved having fun with my friends, but sitting by myself in the quiet appealed to me too.

Many people said I was really philosophical. I didn't re all know whether to agree or not. I mean, yes, I did like to think some spiritual and philosophical things. I didn't see what was wrong in that.

I sighed once again as my mother called me from downstairs. I wanted to meet up with my friends and girlfriend, but I highly doubted that was possible. Nowadays in Seven, we barely went anywhere other than school, work and home. The Peacekeeping force was so harsh.

I knew why, of course. After last year's Games, there had been uprisings in a few districts from what I knew. Seven was one of them. I hadn't taken part, nor had any one my friends, but the uprisings hadn't been small. Many people had been killed. I sill shuddered from that day.

They'd called us all to the Reapings Square and shot some of the guilty ones in front of us. I hadn't been up from and didn't want to look at the huge screens on which their deaths had been broadcasted, but I had heard their names. They had been the best friends of last year's female tribute.

Connor and Krista.

I had known them. They'd been in the same year as me, and the same school. It hurt to know they were gone. And it also hurt to see Nick Noelle on the screen. Nick was fairly well known for her bizarre acts, but it was hard not to like her. She'd always crack a joke and cheer one up. I hadn't known her so well, but it still hurt to see her die.

I threw on my clothes I had picked out for the Reapings and ran a brush through my hair. I took a deep breath. I couldn't afford to let the worry get to me. I couldn't. If it was needed that peacekeepers kept watch over us, then that would happen.

The Capitol was another obstacle in our lives. We couldn't help it if being ruled over them was in our fate. We had o adapt to them, and go along with it, molding our lives as needed. People who tried to resist them ended up with a bullet in their head. People who went a log the Games emerged victors.

I had already made my way down the stairs, and was greeted by the kind smiles of my parents. However, I could tell it was forced. They were worried about me. A lot. Which I understood, I mean, I was seventeen, and had my name in there five times, along with that one tessarae I took, but we were in a large district. While not as large as a few others, the chances of my name being called were still pretty slim.

"Mom, Dad, I'm going out, I told my friends I'd meet them before the Reapings, but now it seems like I'll have to meet them at the square itself." I told my parents as I pulled on a pair of sneakers. My mother ruffled my hair as I tied the laces. I stood up and kissed her cheek, and nodded at my father before exiting the house.

The walk from my house to the square wasn't that big. I walked at a steady but fast pace, I didn't want to be late. Something nagged at the back of my head, an uncomfortable feeling which refused to go away. Every person eligible for Reaping would have this feeling on this day, and this wasn't out of the ordinary. I tried to push it to the back of my head. What would happen would happen. I couldn't speculate now over something which was not under my control.

The wind carried the faint smell of fresh pine and cedar. I knew we grew many other plants here, but those two were especially grown in the lumber houses near this area. I tried to let go of my worries. I didn't even realize when I had stepped into the Square.

It took me a few minutes, but I found my friends, and my girlfriend, Laura. I walked up to them and exchanged greetings, and Laura placed a swift kiss on my cheek. "Well, you certainly showed up early. Damn, we still have about an hour left until the escort comes, why don't I teach you some time management in the meantime?" Parker smirked at me. He was a year older than I was, and literally the most sarcastic person I knew of. I smiled back.

"Oh please Parker," Laura interjected, "Like you totally showed up for that plan we had yesterday. I'm sure Gideon must've been sleeping or something. Last I checked, you were trying to, unsuccessfully, may I add, ask out Cassandra Pines."

Parker paused for a moment, then returned to his usual smirk. "Well, of course you'd say that Laura, anything to defend Gideon, yes?" I felt my cheeks turning red as Parker and Hudson, our other friend burst into laughter.

We quickly folded ourselves into the queue to get our fingers pricked. It didn't take long, and before I knew it, I was standing in the seventeen-year-old section. At one glance, one would have taken the atmosphere to be tranquil. But as they got a closer look, they would see an underlying layer of nervousness, of worry and of anxiety. Despite my earlier thoughts of not worrying, I couldn't help the uneasy feeling. I decided to focus on our escort to drown it out.

Our escort Shine lived up to her name. Her dress was sparkly and shiny. Her hair, previously pink was bright yellow this year and stood above her head in all directions. Her fingernails' color also had been changed to a blood red. She smiled warmly at us. She may have been weird, but at least she wasn't all fake and annoying as some other mentors.

"Welcome, District Seven! Well, as I'm sure all of you are eagerly waiting for me to pick out that one slip of paper from each bowl, why don't we just get to it?" I sighed with relief. At least she got right down to it.

She went to the boy's bowl first.

 _Please don't say Gideon Yeh…_

 _Please don't say Gideon Yeh…_

 _Please don't-_

"Gideon Yeh!"

I froze. My eyes widened as my heart threatened to stop on spot. My mouth fell agape. No… this couldn't be…

I noticed a few peacekeepers shuffling towards me, and that gave me the impetus I needed to start moving. I could barely feel my legs.

How could this happen!? Why would this happen to me? I hadn't ever harmed anyone.

Then again, I believed in one thing. Everything happened for a reason. Maybe this was my destiny. Maybe this was always meant to happen to me. But I didn't want to die. I caught Laura's face; she wasn't even looking up, she was only silently sobbing into her hands. I noticed Parker on the verge of tears for the first time I'd seen him. Should I just accept that death was my destiny and go along with it?

I clenched my jaw tight as I climbed the podium. No. I couldn't. I owed it to my family and my friends. Yes, I believed everything happened for a reason. Maybe the reason of my survival was my own determination.

"Anything you want to say, dear?" Shine asked. I shook my head lightly. She shrugged and moved onto the girls' bowl. I could only pray for a split second for it to not be Laura, when she called out the name, "Mackenzie Dupree!"

No way! That was the Mayor's daughter! The mayor shot to his feet, looking alarmed. But my attention was drawn away from him by a cry that was emanated from the twelve-year-old section. My god… this girl was way too young for this.

She couldn't even walk in between her tears. The Peacekeepers had to drag her, and when they put her on stage, I could see she was having trouble breathing amidst her sobs. She kept muttering under her breath and shaking.

Shine waited a moment before turning towards Mackenzie. I knew why. Last year there had been a volunteer. She was probably hoping this year there would be too. No such luck for the little girl; everyone looked slightly sad at her state. The mayor could've been made of stone, with his expression. Before Shine could ask, I took Mackenzie's hand in a handshake, gripping her small palm in both of mine.

She looked up at me with tear filled eyes, and I tried my best for a smile. I had some experience with axes, while Mackenzie was as untrained as they came. I nodded lightly at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, before we were grabbed by the Peacekeepers.

I didn't have to wait long to have my parents come streaming into the room, my mother crying furiously and my father looking like he wanted to cause an uprising.

"Gideon, oh my boy!" Mother cried as she pulled me into a tight hug. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to cry, I really didn't. I was afraid that if I said something, I wouldn't be able to control my tears anymore. If I cried, it would only break my parents' hopes further.

"Son, you're good with axes. Last year that girl went till the final two. And the boy would have gone far as well if it hadn't been for that accident." My father speculated. I could only nod. "Gideon, please, look at me." He turned me around, extricating me from my mother, to face him.

"You can't give up. All my life I've believed in your skill. In your talent, in your strength. I know you can do this."

I managed another small nod. "I'll try Dad..."

My parents gave me one last hug before leaving.

My next visitors were my friends, and they were fuming. Laura seemed to be a cross between wanting to rip someone's head off, and wanting to bawl in a corner. Hudson looked shell-shocked and Parker was mumbling like he'd lost his marbles.

"HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN!?" Laura shrieked. I held her hands, trying to calm her down, but I couldn't even say anything.

"Look, dude, I'm not good with all this motivational stuff, but I don't want to waste my last few moments with my best friend." Parker said. I gave him a thankful look. "You know you're skilled, and I'm not going to remind you. I can't even lecture you on the Games because talking about them and actually being there are two very different things. However, I will tell you one thing," he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Whatever happens, you'll always be my best friend, and no one's taking that spot." He said. I made a sound which was somewhere between a cry and a gag. Hudson nodded his assent and gave me his own hug.

Laura pulled me into a kiss, but it only lasted a few seconds before the Peacekeeper barged in telling them their time was over. That ended in her screaming profanities at him. I had o hold her back for both of their safety.

You're coming back to us. That's not a request, that's a fact." Laura told me. I smiled, but our time was already up.

I could only hope that the fact wouldn't be proven false.

 **Mackenzie Dupree (12)-D7 Female:**

I didn't expect any visitors. I really didn't. So when Talia came through the doors, I was pleasantly surprised.

"My god, Mackenzie!" She didn't exaggerate her emotions, and I appreciated that. She only looked slightly grim. She smiled weakly at me. "Look, you'll have sponsors won't you?" She asked rhetorically. I was too shocked to say anything. My tears were still wet against my face. I still had some difficulty in breathing.

"All you have to do is try hard." Talia told me. We had absolutely nothing in common, and not talked once in a while when our paths crossed. However, I felt my heart being warmed that she'd come to see me. I managed a thank-you, though it honestly just sounded like a tiny squeak.

Talia left after a hug.

I knew my father couldnt come. The mayors weren't allowed to meet the tributes, no exceptions. I could only plop down on the velvet seat and wait to be taken to the Train.

Iwas getting over my initial shock. I was slowly coming to terms with the fact that I was going into the Games. When I had first heard my name I wanted it to be a mistake. I wanted it all to be a mere trick of my mind. But now, I was accepting that it wasn't.

I may not have been an adrenaline junkie like last yeat's Nick Noelle, nor was I ruthless like the boy from Five, or charming and sweet like the girl from Six. I was quiet, very much the opposite of charming, and the thought of killing someone made my stomach churn.

However, I wasn't weak. I refused to believe I was weak. Just because I was small didn't make me bloodbath fodder. I fingered my bracelet.

I had lived numerous adventures trough the books. I had gained knowledge. I knew a fair thing or two about various traps. But during those books, whenever an intense part came on, I would always console myself saying it was only fictional.

Now, I was about to live the real Nightmare.

~. ~. ~.

 **A/N: Please, don't kill me.**

 **Look at that, did Wizard just update? Yeah, I know, the last time I said I'd update last week, but I had literally no time, but MY EXAMS ARE NOW OVER! WELL, KINDA. I MEAN, I STILL HAVE ANOTHER ASSESMENT THINGIE, BUT THATS AFTER A WEEK SO YAY! AND MY EXAMS WENT REALLY WELL SO I'M EXTRA HAPPY!**

 **I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't good, my writing is a little *cough* very *cough* rusty. But I would say a huge thank-you to Josephm611 and We're All Okay for Gideon and Mackenzie. These two are privileges to write and I can only hope I did them Justice.**

 **I know I should say something about not having updated for so long, but you all knew my situation, and I don't want to make up excuses. I promise updates will be more frequent.**

 **On that note (no, these notes are of two completely different frequencies, but tats just an expression haha, omg what is this what has Physics done to me) I have a general idea of the story. No, I dont have my Victor. No, I don't even have my final 8. I just know a few plotlines of the story. That's it. And I know what the plot will be. Um, that made no sense. Sorry. But you get me ay?**

 **OH AND YES! If you want to submit to as story, Denying Reality has one open right now, and you'll see a familiar face from a certain story *nudge nudge* and I also have tributes in there and I really like their writing style and the idea, so you should definitely go check em out.**

 **And if you're just looking for a good story to read, Red Roses1000's SYOT is a really good read! I have a tribute in there too, and Roses is an amazing author and the writing is really REALLY unique. So y'all should definitely give it a try.**

 **So, how was this chapter? Do any of y'all wanna murder me for not updating since the ice age? Did you like these two? Do you like any of them better? WHADDYA think they'll do in the Games?**

 **Lemme know what you guys thought! Your reviews really matter to me and they never fail to make me smile! Thanks so much guys :")**

 **Until Next Time Then,**

 **Wizard.**


	11. District Eight Reapings

**District Eight:**

 **Reapings:**

 **Lacey Rollag(14)- D8 Female:**

"The girl slowly took her hand out of her elder brother's and gazed at the beautiful sight in front of her. Lush green grass flowed over the ground, a stark contrast to the azure sky. The sparkling water of the meadow seemed to be whispering her name as she heard the water run over the pebbles. The trees stood tall, waving their leaf-laden tops as the wind weaved through their branches. She looked up at the boy beside her. 'Is this it? Where you saw them?' She asked, a hopeful and anxious sparkle in her large brown eyes. Her brother smiled and nodded. The girl's face broke into a grin to match her brother's. He pointed to the left, and she followed his finger. Her eyes widened as she saw them-"

I was cut off by the bell ringing.

"Awwwww…" A collective groan emanated from the kids in front of me. I frowned, and shut the book I was reading out to them. The group of seven-year olds looked terribly disappointed and I could've sworn their expressions suggested they were about to take a sledgehammer to the bell.

"But we wanna know what she saw!" one of them asked me. I reached out and ruffled his hair. "Well, sorry mate, you're going to have to wait! We can't continue, or we'll miss the Reapings. Now, as much as I want to read further, I definitely wouldn't like being thrown into prison for missing the Reapings." I told them. they still looked disappointed.

"And, if I'm thrown into prison, who else will read this out to you?" I smiled cheekily. All of their eyes widened as the prospect of not knowing the further contents of the book. They quickly picked themselves off the floor and waved good bye to me, before shuffling out of the library.

"Finally finished, I see?" I heard the voice of my friend Flax as I turned around to keep the book on its place in the shelf. "You know, Lacey, I have no idea why you keep doing this. It's not like you get paid or anything. And for the record, some of these are kind of stupid." Flax motioned towards the books on the stand. I opened my mouth to answer, but my other friend, Jamie beat me to it.

"She likes it. The fairies, the weird spell thingamajiggers, all the works. It flatters her mind." He said, with a dramatic wave of his hand. I looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Damn, Jamie, when did you become a philosopher? Last time I checked, you had the emotion range of a teaspoon." I questioned.

"He didn't. It's the answer you've given us the previous fifty times we asked you the same question. I keep asking you, and you keep giving the same answer, which I still don't get." Flax put in. I smiled sweetly.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Let's get going. Keep to your word, Lacey, you're going to be late for the Reapings." She called out to me, already heading out of the library.

District Eight didn't have a 'library' as such, but it did have a small place which kept a few books. The place was usually only used by the rich people, for their leisure time, and the children who came here were always the rich kids. I didn't fall into that category, but I came here for a different purpose. Every day for one hour, I would read a book to the kids. The Librarian was a kind lady, and the kids seemed to like my story telling. I didn't get paid, like Flax had so kindly mentioned, but I loved it all the same.

Jamie was right though, I did read for the pleasure of escaping into the other worlds. Worlds where fairies and such magic existed. Worlds where there wasn't exactly any sadness, and where all problems would end with the good people living happily ever after. People would tell me I'm childish and immature, but I didn't exactly pay heed. It made me happy, and that mattered to me more than what people said.

I flashed the Librarian a small smile as I made my way out, and she peered over her glasses to give me a concerned but kind nod. I knew her reasons for concern. She may not show it, but I could tell she liked the three of us. The chances of us being Reaped mustn't have sat good with her.

As we found ourselves out of the library and onto the road to our houses, I started zoning out, into y own world. The trees on the roadside, the meager ones, reminded me of the trees in Charasin. In Charasin, there would be a fairy in each of these trees. The fairies were good listeners, because they always listened to my stories, never got bored, and played with kids like me. They would always comfort me when someone would be mean to me, and would always cheer me up.

I'd never really told myself about this imaginary world I'd made for me. People would either think I'm extremely immature, or plain out crazy. But I wasn't either. People had different ways of comforting themselves when they were sad, or hurt. This was my way. It would be called weird by many, but it wasn't, really. It was only different. And I had no problem with that.

I'd made Charasin in my mind, when I'd been eleven years old, three years ago.

I'd been walking home from school that day, alone. Jamie had been home, sick, and Flax had to stay back because of detention. That day we'd gotten a lot of homework, and my hands had been filled with books. The path to my house had been blocked, because of some sort of construction on the roads. So I'd had to take a longer route, and I'd ended up in an alley.

Biggest mistake of my life.

I hadn't initially seen them, but it had been a hard shove from behind me that had alerted me. I still had the scar on my knee from when I fell over and my knee bruised itself on the corner of a book I was carrying. I had found myself surrounded by older boys, their smirks haunting me till this date.

They had laughed at me, and even though I had probably been at least eight or so years younger than them, had taken the pleasure of beating me to a pulp. I was the funny little girl, the one who always daydreamed in class, the one who was a klutz, the one who would crack jokes about their own stupid antics. And even though the people of my grade found it funny, these boys found it targetable.

They'd torn apart my books and beaten me up, only ravishing in the fact that I couldn't do anything to fight back. It wasn't as though they had a reason. Bullies never had a reason to bully people. They did it for the fun of it, as sick as it made me.

They'd gone as far as breaking my teeth. My front tooth was broken due to that fight. They'd actually beaten me unconscious, and I had been found a few hours later, lying in a pile of pages of my books, by a kind lady who had a big enough heart to take me to a hospital.

I had complained to my parents, but the boys had rich parents, and they'd escaped any form of punishment. Jamie and Flax had been there for me, but they had school to attend, while I couldn't even walk for a few weeks. Mother and Father would both be busy at work, because we needed to run the house. The only comfort I would find would be in myself.

And that's when I'd made Charasin, my own world, my escape, and my way of comforting myself whenever I needed it.

"Lacey? Lacey-loo? Laceypopplipoo? Panem to Lacey, Panem to Lacey, anyone there?" I was brought out of my stupor by Jamie rapidly waving his hand in front of my face. I started, but quickly smiled. "Sorry, was off daydreamin' again. I didn't miss anything important though, did I?" I asked, shooting them a grin. Flax rolled her eyes.

"We were just thinking about this year's tributes. What do you think will happen?" She asked. I shrugged. "Flax, it's literally impossible to say. I just hope they aren't like last year's tributes. Goodness, they scared the living daylights out of me." I told her.

Jamie nodded in approval. "Agreed-o. The girl was way too stuck up and the guy was full-blown Wonky." He added to my statement.

"Chances of the tributes being like them are less. People in Eight aren't usually that gazonked." I stated. Jamie and Flax turned to look at me. "Gazonked?" Flax asked, looking alarmed and concerned for my mental health. I shrugged. "It's a word in my dictionary. It's called um…" I hunted my mind for a word. "whatever, it's my dictionary." I ended my awkward sentence. Flax rolled her eyes and Jamie just looked slightly surprised.

I spotted my house up ahead, and skipped the rest of the way. I bounded up to the front door, and turned around to wave good bye to my friends. They smiled and returned the wave, before I turned again and knocked on the door.

My house wasn't anything extravagant. In fact, it was like any other house in Eight, which housed a family which could feed themselves. We weren't rich or dirt poor. We managed to get along well enough without me having to take out any tessarae, but we didn't have too many leftovers everyday.

The door opened and I was greeted by the ever-smiling face of my mother. She took me into a hug. I smiled into her apron. I could tell from the smell that she'd been baking. I looked up at her face, not breaking the hug. "Were the cookies for me?" I asked, knowing full well that I was the only kid in the house. She still nodded. "With extra chocolate chips, just as you like it." She patted my head. I grinned up at her. "Now, go get dressed, and I'll put out the cookies. We don't want to be late, do we?"

I squeezed her once again, and turned to rush to my room. I shut the door behind me and smiled. I remembered the expressions on the little kid's faces when the story came to a funny part and I made a face to match it. I liked it when people laughed. I liked it when I made them laugh. If I could make them laugh by acting stupid and childish, I wouldn't hesitate to do so. For some reason, laughter caused by me made me more happy than them.

I glanced in the mirror. I needed to take a shower, but if I did that, I would be late for the Reapings, and I would have to skip the cookies. I almost reeled back in the horror. As if I would even think about skipping the food for _appearance._ And besides, I didn't really need it. I huffed and simply opened the closet, and pulled out the dress I had in mind. I didn't take more than a few minutes to change into it, and dragged the brush through my hair a few times before glancing at me reflection once again.

I looked way younger than my age. I was told that all the time, literally by everyone. I had a broken tooth in front from my… _encounter_ with the elder boys, but it looked like a tooth was growing out, so people thought I looked about nine or ten. It was slightly annoying, but helped play the kid who liked to make people laugh. I had caramel colored skin with dark hair and dark eyes to match it, but my mother would always tell me my eyes held a smiley sparkle to them. I had puffy cheeks, which earned me the occasional nickname of chipmunk. I didn't really mind though, the only ones who called me that were Flax and Jamie. Anyone else would be left with a broken nose.

I had on a simply dress. It was pink and made of satin and velvet. It fell to my knees, and I decided on matching slippers to go with them. Just because I wasn't all appearance crazy like some others, didn't mean I could look like a troll.

I bounded downstairs again, and plopped down on a chair at the table. As I began scooping cookies into my mouth, I couldn't help but feel a knot in my stomach, for the Reapings. I brushed it away.

It was nothing.

 **Daxen Whales(16)- D8 Male:**

"I'm not hearing any of it Dax. You're finishing the damn thing." Dylon, my best friend glared at me. I tried a different. I made my eyes bigger and went for the puppy-dog look. I jutted out my lower lip.

"Pleeeease? I'll do it later!" I pleaded. Dylon rolled his eyes at me. "Nope. You're finishing that and then we can go to the bakery."

I huffed. "I give up." I pouted, slumping down. I felt a hand rubbing my shoulder. Pixie smiled at the two of us playfully. "I don't know how Dylon manages to say no to that face." She chuckled. I held my hand over hers and gave her a small smile.

"Ugh, you two. Not in front of me, please." Dylon groaned. It was my turn to glare at him, but I' fairly sure I wasn't all the intimidating with my red tinted cheeks. "Get back to work, Daxy." He smirked at me. I intensified my glare, and he just shrugged in response. I groaned and went back to my 'work'.

Namely, picking out the combination of flowers for the bouquet that was ordered.

Yes, I know, whining over such a small thing, I know what people would think. But I didn't want to waste time on this, when I could be spending with my friends. But I knew Dylon was right. As much as I wanted to relax, I had to complete this work.

"I think the daisies would go well with these ones," I held up a bunch of flowers for my friends. Pixie smiled approvingly, while Dylon looked stumped. He simply shrugged. "You have the best judgment in this Dax, don't ask us. You already know you'll pick the right ones." He said. But something in his voice was off. I narrowed my eyes. I knew that look.

"Dylon, what's wrong? Something bothering you?" I asked, while proceeding to select the different colored flowers which would go together in a good combination. I wasn't an artist, but I had a thing with colors. I liked how they were each beautiful in their individual way, but when they came together, they made something just as beautiful as any of them.

Dylon just shook his head. I should have known. "Sorry, I should rephrase that." I looked at him. "Dylon, tell me what's wrong."

He looked at me with worry laced in his gaze. "I'm just…" He sighed, knowing that after being best friends for the longest time, he wouldn't get away with a lie, "I'm worried about the Reapings, Dax. What if one of us gets Reaped?" He asked.

Pixie put a hand on his shoulder. "Dylon, we can't possibly get Reaped. None of us have taken out any tessarae." She assured him. He nodded unsurely. "I know, but many a times even mayor's kids who are twelve years old have been reaped. One slip can be taken, and we have multiple." He said.

I smiled. "Oh come on, Dylon, we may have multiple slips, but there are people in Eight who have exponential times ours. There's a very slim chance one of us will get Reaped. And even if we do, you shouldn't be so underestimating of your skills." I told him, putting the final flower in the bouquet. I liked the way it looked. It had the right blend of yellow and orange, with a dash of red. The customer liked bright colors, and that's what I was giving her.

Dylon scoffed. "Oh, you mean our non-existent skills? Remember the ones from Eight last year? One was a bloodbath and the other was a psycho who was killed by the girl he was trying to kill. And for the record, they had more skill than the three of us combined." He countered. I faltered for a moment.

I quickly smiled though. "Hey, there's training, and if you and I are picked, we aren't exactly weaklings. And Pixie's sneaky enough, so I'd say we're off to a good start." I stated. He stared at me before shaking his head. " You're delusional but at least you're optimistic. Or should I say, you're optimistically delusional." He confirmed. I smirked. "You've said that. Quite a few times, actually."

It was true. I would always be the one who would try to keep their hopes up. Not because I was trying to be the brave one or anything, but I learnt long ago that the only way to keep your hopes up was to convince the other people of what you wanted to believe. It worked easier that way.

Dylon called me delusional. I wasn't overly optimistic. I didn't give false hopes, I gave realistic ones. I was more of an optimistic realist. Not everything that was true had to be cruel. I wanted to see the silver lining, and I tried my hardest to see the real thing, and not a picture of it. Dylon was the worrier in our group, Pixie was the one trying to stay calm, while I was the one telling them it would be okay.

For example, I wasn't kidding when I told Dylon we had a chance. Of course, I wasn't saying we were victors, but we didn't seem like bloodbath fodder either. At least, Dylon didn't. He stood fairly tall and had a good bit of muscle on him. Pixie was unbelievably sneaky and crafty, and while I was nowhere near as well built as Dylon, I could put up a fair fight.

See? Realistic.

Pixie laughed. "Guys, come on. I want to shower and change before the Reapings. If what Dylon's scared of actually happens, well, I want to at least look human in front of the whole country." She finished with a weak laugh. I nodded with a smile, and got up, but as Dylon walked ahead of us, I grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She raised an eyebrow.

"You won't get Reaped Pixie. You won't." I told her firmly, all my previous laughter gone. She must've seen the seriousness on my face. She smiled softly. "Thanks Dax. I was only joking after all." She said. I nodded, and added a smile in for good measure, but she knew how serious I was. She nodded once more before walking ahead, following Dylon.

I waved goodbye to my mother who was at the front of our shop, and went after my friends. Yes, we owned a flower shop in district Eight. It sounded strange to everyone when I said it. But we were humans. Everyone enjoyed a bouquet every now and then. And District Eight wasn't dirt poor, we had quite a few people who were well off enough to buy our flowers. Eight was a district with almost no trees in sight, the very air polluted with the smoke coming from the textile factories. Having a little bit of color in our lives wouldn't hurt us.

I lived a good life here in Eight. No, we weren't stinking rich, nor were we starving to death. Our shop did well and we earned enough to keep us full, and most of the time had a few leftovers. We were content with the life we led. Our business was steady and I would grow up to inherit the responsibility of the shop from my parents when I grew up.

We drew up to my house and I waved them good bye. I parted after a small peck on the cheek from Pixie and a groan from Dylon, earning a blush from the two of us. My house was like everything else. Not too extravagant, but comfy looking all the same. I knew no one would be at home this time, because Father was out sending the last of the orders to the people before the Reapings and my mother was at the shop. I let myself in.

I didn't wait for anything. I didn't really like being late for the Reapings, so I rushed up to my room and quickly showered. Like Pixie said, I didn't want to end up looking like a zombie in front of the entire nation.

I picked out what I thought was fitting and hurriedly threw it on. It was a pair of black pin striped pants accompanied by a blue button down shirt and a dark blue tie. I smiled at myself in the mirror as I combed my hair neatly to one side. I wasn't exactly handsome, as such, but many a times I had been called childishly cute. I had a fair complexion with light blue eyes, and kiddish features. I wasn't overweight or anything, but I wasn't sickly. I was average, with an amount of muscle on me from exercise.

I smiled wider as I picked up my father's favorite watch. He loved this one; it was a gift from my mother when they first met. It didn't fit his wrist anymore, but I wore it instead. The dial was a simply one, but it held so many happy memories, I loved it all the same.

I didn't waste too much time in getting out of the house, and carefully locked the door behind me. The walk from my house to where the Reapings would take place was a short one, so I reached quite quickly. I scanned the busy crowd for my friends, but seeing no sight of them, I stood in line to get my finger pricked. It didn't take long, for the people moved away from their queue as quickly as possible.

The atmosphere of tension was almost visible. It felt as the very ground held its breath. I wasn't going to lie, I was nervous. Everyone in my position would be, I wasn't stupid. But I held on to the hope, that I wouldn't be reaped. Nor would any of my friends.

I didn't get the chance to meet any of them. I was somewhere at in the middle of the line, while Dylon must've been somewhere at the back. Pixie was in another section altogether. I looked at the escort who was supposed to be giving the intro by now. Instead, Mist just looked bored out of her mind as she simply waited for everyone to settle down. I didn't really blame her. She'd lost all of her cheerfulness over the years. She didn't even bother greeting us. She just went over to the girl's bowl and I found myself wishing she wouldn't take my girlfriend's name.

"Lacey Rollag!"

For a moment, no one said anything. Before I even had time to feel relieved for Pixie, a cry went up from the fourteen year old section. The crowd seemed to part, though it was hard to tell from my angle, but I knew the girl had just broken down into tears. However, not wanting to waste time, Mist shot the Peacekeepers a look, and they walked over to her. One bent down and took her arm, surprisingly gently, and picked her up. They waited as she composed herself and began walking forward. She still shook with her sobs as she mounted the stage, and it was very clear she wasn't going to be saying anything.

I knew my heart was hammering in my chest as Mist walked over to the boy's bowl. I desperately wanted to catch Dylon's eye for some anchor, but didn't find him. In my search, however, I missed her picking up the slip.

"Daxen Whales!"

I almost choked. Disbelief, fear, apprehension and a whole tsunami of emotions washed over me. No, this couldn't be. It wasn't… HOW!? I hadn't taken out any tessarae, and out of all the names she could've chosen, she picked mine!? I didn't know I was simply frozen in my place and staring ahead with wide eyes until the boys around me looked at me; some with pity, some with relief.

I willed myself to walk forward. I was almost blinded but I managed to reach the stage. I knew the entire nation would be watching, so I tried for a smile. I racked my brain for things to say if Mist asked me to speak, but I finally caught Dylon's eye, and he looked somewhere between shocked and broken. I knew I wouldn't be saying anything if I wanted to keep myself from crying.

I shook my head as the device was held out to me, and proceeded to shake Lacey's hand. I felt bad for her. The girl seemed really young and sweet-looking, and I couldn't help but try again for a reassuring smile. I only made her cry harder. Great job, Dax, really great.

I expected to be shoved into the Justice Building, but the Peacekeeper stood behind me and muttered "Let's go." In a polite but demanding tone. I would be surprised if I wasn't wrapped around the knowledge of being Reaped.

My first guests in the waiting room were my parents. I expected them to bawl and cry and lament, but my mother's face was so hard you could've mistaken it for stone, and my father seemed to be speechless. I noticed his eyes were bleak, and my mother had tear stains on her cheeks, but they wre clearly holding it together for me.

I threw my arms around her and buried my face in her shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of her perfume.

"Now, don't you dare give up. If you're planning the colors of flowers on your coffin, stop. Because you're coming back to us Daxen. I know you are." My mother insisted. Father stepped up behind her and nodded, though I could still see he was in shock.

"Dax, you're mother's correct. You can't give up. You aren't defeated by a sword or any other weapon. You're defeated when you stop believing in yourself and I know my son isn't like that." He told me firmly. I managed a nod in their direction. I let their words wash over me. I tried flashing back to the time when I was consoling Dylon. I said those words.

"I'm going to try my best." I said. And this time, my voice didn't waver. My mother smiled at me and pulled me into another hug, yanking my father in too. We stayed like that until the Peacekeeper told us it was time up.

Barely had they left that I found myself being tackled into a fierce hug. I patted Pixie's back and stroked her hair, and she cried onto my shoulder. She shook in my arms, but I just held her, hoping to everything above this wouldn't be the last time. Dylon looked like he was torn between mourning, wailing or raging.

Pixie pulled away.

"Well, see? I told you you wouldn't get Reaped." I stated with a half-hearted smirk.

"I don't know if I should feel mad at the escort for choosing your name, but I need to feel mad at something, so her it is." Dylon spat. I looked at him. "Dylon, hey, man, don't give up on me so early…" I tried for a joke. He glared at me.

"Oh I haven't given up on you. Not at all. I know you're coming back Dax. I know it. All those words you said, you are an optimistic realist, so whatever you said was realistic. You stand a solid chance and I know you can do this. I just hate the fact that you'll have to watch twenty three other kids die." He declared. I was rendered speechless for a moment before I cracked a smile.

"Well, seems like my cheering-up ability is rubbing off on you." I said proudly. Pixie took y face and turned me to face her. "Dax, tell me you'll try. You remember how you were consoling Dylon? Well, you have to believe your words now. You _have_ to try." She said. I nodded.

"I will…"

She pulled me into a final kiss, which lasted much longer than our usual ones, and broke away, wiping at her eyes. The Peacekeeper poked his head in, and Dylon pulled me into a quick hug before leaving with Pixie.

I sat down hard, knowing I wasn't having any more visitors, and tried my level best of convincing myself to believe what I had previously told Dylon.

 **Lacey Rollag (14)-D8 Female:**

I didn't want to cry. I really didn't. I didn't like crying,but I couldn't help myself. Why would I be Reaped!? I had been a good girl. I hadn't hurt anyone, and now, I hadbeen chosen to go to a place where all anyone did was hurt people.

"Lacey we can't control that. No one can." My mother tried consoling me as I told her this. "Lacey, many good children are Reaped every year."

"I don't want to die..." I sniffled. I hated this. I seemed weak and helpless, but I had been thrown by the Reapings.

"Well, then, you'll have to try to come back to us, won't you?" My father smiled down at me. He bent down to my level and wiped my eyes. "Lacey, look at me. No one is prepared for the Games. Not even the Careers. They may have trained, but in the Games, it's a whole new atmosphere. The thing that makes a victor isn't training, it's dedication. Determination. The will to not give up. And I know my little girl. You aren't a quitter are you?"

I took his words in.

Slowly, but visibly, a smile spread across my face. Not a I'm-so-confident-and-I-don't-feel-a-thing-going-into-the-Games smile. But a smile that said I still have some hope left. I wasn't going to be a lost cause, all bawling and crying and weak.

I was brought into another embrace by my parents before our time was up. My father kissed the top of my head before giving me a meaningful look, like he wanted to engrave the words into my head.

My friends rushed in with tears, screaming and flailing.

"HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN!?"

"I swear, if I et my hands on that escort... "

I managed a wry laugh. "Guys, calm down."

Flux glared at me. "Look here missy. You're not going to tell me to calm down. Now listen. Don't trust ANYONE. And stay away, as far away as possible from the Careers, and try-"

"Flax!" I yelled. She stopped and looked at me. "Don't tell me anything about the Games. Just... don't. Please I don't want to spend this time talking about the freaking Games." I pleaded

"She's right." Jamie agreed. He turned to me and smirked. "Remember that time I tricked you with that broom?"

I gasped in mock disbelief. "You didn't! I was only surprised! That doesn't count!" I defended. Jamie laughed. "Yeah, yeah, keep tell it yourself that."

"It's true!"

"Nope."

"YES!"

"Nope."

"Ugh."

"Nope."

Flax just stood at the side looking amused as Jamie and I argued back and forth. Jamie finally gave up and held his hands up as I pumped the air with my fists. "SCORE ONE FOR LACEY!" I yelled.

This wasn't how normal people spent their possible last moments with their friends. But there was no use moping. If I would die in the Games, I wanted my last memory of my friends to be a good one. And tears on their faces wasn't my definition of good.

So when the Peacekeepers came in to tell us our time was over, I'm. Fairly sure they were surprised to see us laughing. Flax looked at me before smiling. "Lacey, I'm not giving up on you. Neither is Jamie." She elbowed his stomach. He glared at her. "Yeah. I didn't need the injury to say it, but yeah. I'm not losing my honorary sister and best friend." He insisted. They ave me one last hug before walking away.

Their voices still lingered in my head as escort came to call me for the train ride.

~. ~. ~. ~

 **A/N: Okay, let me get this out of the way. I'm so freaking sorry for updating so late. I know this is later than like... I can't even come up with a good comparison, but yeah. And I know no excuse will be food enough, but even though there have been multiple reasons for this, the main reason behind the late update is two words.**

 **Writer's Block.**

 **Trust me when I say, nothing is worse. Okay, maybe attachment is worse, but this was torture. I mean, don't get me wrong, it had nothing to do with the characters. I love these two so effin much, but... I don't know why I had it. For the record, I've never had writer's block. I think it was because after exams got over my brain just gave away and decided to stop working.**

 **But even then, I was supposed to get this up yesterday. I stayed up till 3 writing it, and just as I got to the AN, the computer hanged and I had to shut it down and lost the entire thing by then I was exhausted and so now here it is today. :")**

 **But, aside from all the nasty details, I FINALLY UPDATED!**

 **So what did you guys think of the chapter? Huge shootout to Reader Castellan and AaronIris34 for these two tributes! Also, go check these guys out because they be some seiously amazing authors.**

 **Did you like the chapter? Did you like the tributes? What do you think their interactions would be with the others and with each other? And (I have to ask this) do you guys picture any potential alliance?**

 **(Ftr, my phone autocorrected 'picture' to oictire. Behold, the genius of autocorrect)**

 **OH AND ANOTHER THING! I started writing a story! No, not a fan fiction. An actual story. Original. I obviously couldn't put it here, so it's on wattpad, and my username is Wizard221B (I know, really creative) and I've worked hard on the idea for FIVE years. Yep. Five years. But yeah, I'd love it if you guys checked it out! Urm... yeah.**

 **Please review and let me know what you thought! A huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed, it makes me grin like the cat in Alice in Wonderland! To those who haven't, tha nd for reading! That in itself is an honor. But if there is a reason for not reviewing, like bad writing or... *ahem* late updates...do tell me! I promise to try improving! I really will try updating sooner, but with school (yes, this early) I'll probably update once a week, and if I have time, twice.**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard**.


	12. District Nine Reapings

**District Nine:**

 **Reapings:**

 **Russell Grove (17)-D9 Male:**

The Peacekeepers hollered even louder, their screams and laughter filling the atmosphere of the small bar we sat in. I tossed the bottles in the air and caught them as they came down, falling into a dance while I juggled the wine containers. I currently maneuvered three such bottles as I tossed them up and caught them again. Much to the amusement of the Peacekeepers.

I finally decided to end this little trick by tossing all of them up, and catching one in each hand. The third, one that I had thrown slightly higher than the others, took slightly longer to come down. I tilted my head perpendicular to the path of the falling bottle, and opened my mouth. With slight difficulty, I clapmed my teeth down on the thin part of the neck of the bottle as it came down. Finished, I spread my arms and took a bow.

"It's been a while since one of you slackers did something worth watching." One of the white-clothed men remarked, as I set the bottles down on their tables and started pouring some of the drink into their glasses. I grinned a somewhat cocky yet pleased grin, as though I was extremely proud of myself for having impressed these guys. "It's always a pleasure to be the one to bring laughter to you people, sir." I stated, sugar-coating the words as they left my mouth. The man in front of me smirked.

I finished pouring the drink into their glasses and picked up the tray on which I carried the bottles. I placed them one by one, after adding a small swish of the hand, earning yet another laugh from the Peacekeepers. Although, I wasn't exactly focused on that now. I waited anxiously for one of their hands to go towards their pockets.

I almost whooped aloud when one of them tossed me some notes, crudely crumpled and probably having been stuffed in his wallet. "Keep it kid, you're a funny guy." He told me, patting my shoulders. I smiled widely at him and took another small bow, which I could tell they liked. I turned around and headed to the back of the bar. I set down the tray and called out to the owner.

"Hey Harvey, I'm out for the day! Gotta make it home before it's too late for Reapings eh?" I yelled as I pulled on my jacket after losing the stupid uniform these guys had to wear at the shop. The owner, Harvey, a middle aged man with a grey beard and thinning hair, looked out from the side of the walls of the counter he worked on.

"Yeah yeah, go for now. Your girlfriend's waiting outside for ya'" he called back. I could feel y face heat up despite my wishing it didn't.

"She's not my girlfriend!" I protested. I could hear Harvey's booming laughter. "Oh yes, of course not, that's absolutely why your face is as red as a tomato. Whatever, just hope you don't get Reaped. I like you kid, you keep them customers coming." He joked, pausing his work enough to put a pat on my head. I managed a smile, but headed out immediately. I couldn't have him see the expression on my face. I didn't have to worry about being Reaped.

Because I was about to volunteer.

I walked out the back door of my workplace to greet my best friend with a hug. However, it didn't escape my notice that she didn't return it. I pulled away and pasted a huge grin on my face. "Hey there Pandona…" I trailed off at the intensity of the glare she gave me.

I sighed, knowing where she was going with this. I started walking, even though her glare didn't lessen in the least. "Yes, I'm still doing it. Look, Pandona, no matter how many time you glare at me, I'm not changing my mind, got it?" I told her firmly.

"Russell, as your best and only friend for quite some time, I know you to have done some stupid and reckless things. But this takes the prize." She snapped.

I drowned her out as she kept on going about how stupid I was for planning on volunteering. It was true, if anyone else got to know, they'd certify me either insane or idiotic. Maybe even both. But I wasn't either. I wasn't a bloodthirsty psychopath either, going into the Games merely to kill people and feast on blood. Um, no, that really wasn't my thing.

"Pandona, I need to do this, don't you get it!?" I exclaimed suddenly rounding on her. She stopped, taking a step back because of my outburst. I felt bad for having her do that, but I was tired of her constantly telling me how terrible my decision was.

Her features softened. She reached out for my arm. "No, Russell, don't _you_ get it? You don't have to do this." She explained. I sighed. Obviously she would think like that. Everyone would think like that.

I pointed over to where my house was, bobbing into view as we walked. It wasn't exactly made of cloth and sticks, but it was nothing which a normal person would call a home. It had only about four rooms, including the one bedroom. The walls were shabby and leaked when it rained. The thing itself looked about a million years old. But the worst part was how it blended into the background in this area. Every house was like that. Every street was filled with groaning people, ones who didn't have enough to eat and were too weak to work.

District nine may have not been as bad as say, Twelve or even Eleven, but there were these kinds of sections in every district. The poor sections, or as they called it here, the 'Slack'. This was the place where the poverty-ridden lived. The ones who couldn't even afford a normal house.

Neither of us talked as we reached my front door. Pandona pulled me into a tight hug, but didn't say anything as she simply turned around and left. I wanted to call her back, but knew it was futile.

I opened the door to my house and clambered in. I set my day's earnings on the table and made my way to our bedroom, from where I could hear noises coming. Without even meaning to, I felt a smile grace my lips. Not one meant for flattery like the one I had given the Peacekeepers. But a true one, genuine.

I opened the door to see my mother making my little sister's hair. Rienna smiled as she saw me. "So, the hero finally returns, huh?" she said, not moving from her position. It was pretty rare hearing my quiet sister speak, but I gobbled it up anyway.

"Yes, your Majesty." I took my third bow of the day. She turned to our mother. "Mum, you have my dress out?" She asked softly. My mother's face dropped and I could tell the news wasn't good.

"Sweetie, I… when I went with the money, the shopkeeper said that they had increased the prices of that dress. I just didn't have enough…" She ended slowly. Disappointment and hurt washed over Rienna's face, but she gave a sad smile to Mother. "It's alright, I'll just wear another one." She resolved.

I grit my teeth. We shouldn't have been like this. We shouldn't have been in this hellhole, living our days out in poverty. We should've been a part of the rich community, having leftovers every other day and enjoying ourselves as much as possible. I forced another smile. "Cheer up Rienna, you'll look much better than all the other girls no matter what you wear." I encouraged. She looked at me, but she had understanding in her eyes. She was mature for her age, and she understood our situation. Clearing my throat awkwardly, I pulled out my clothes from the small thing we called a closet and headed towards the bathroom. I splashed the water on my face as I resisted from hitting something.

We hadn't always been like this. We had been a happy family, with everything we could ask for. Loving parents, a good house and sweet kids. We were the whole deal. But that one day changed everything.

I had been young at the time. My father's cropping business was going well, and I helped him out as much as possible with my skinny hands. It had been nighttime, and we'd been returning from the field. It was almost past curfew, but in Nine, we didn't have much to worry about. Especially not since we were fairly well off, and the Peacekeepers only liked picking on the poorer ones.

We had come halfway, when y father had abruptly stopped and told me to go on. He had explained how he had forgotten some piece of equipment back at the field, and needed to go get it back. I still remembered the look on his face when he told me to be careful as I made my way home. I still remembered his final words to me.

I say final, because he never came home after that night.

At first we thought he had gotten lost somehow, me and Rienna. We'd been so young at the time. But the way our mother cried herself to sleep every night, and the pitiful glances thrown to us by the other people afterwards told us that our father wasn't going to be finding his way back. Obviously, as we grew up we realized that he hadn't gotten lost. We asked around everywhere, scared out of our minds. No one knew what happened to him, only that he was gone.

This brought the difficulties down on us. Without my father's job, we had no means of earning. Mother worked two jobs a day, and was rarely at home. I was young, and Rienna younger. But it wasn't only our financial state. Mother was heartbroken at my father's disappearance. Her mind wouldn't focus on her work. Rienna would wake up every night crying for our father to come back. My family suffered from poverty and depression.

As I grew older, I managed to do odd jobs around the district and earn some money. Gradually, I realized that was the only thing that got you anywhere in this world. Money. That's what you needed to live a happy life. So I did everything and anything possible to earn that money. I stole items from rich people, and I sold them. I sold some of my family's belongings too. I did stupid tricks for the peacekeepers for tips, and succeeded.

Obviously, doing all this wouldn't give you a good reputation. I was known all around as the greedy boy who liked nothing more than money. Well, that was half true. I did love money. I was greedy. I wouldn't deny that.

But not for the reasons people thought.

Was it so wrong to wish for enough money so my mother wouldn't have to work all day? I wanted my family to be rich so that my sister wouldn't stare at a dress in a shop longingly because she couldn't afford to buy it. I wanted money so I wouldn't have to spend each day worrying about when one of us siblings would have to stop school because we couldn't pay the fees.

Was that so wrong?

I sighed as I looked into the mirror. The thing had sludge around its edges, but we couldn't afford to waste anything on luxuries. A pale boy stared back at me. My dark hair fell into my forehead as a fringe and almost brushed my light blue eyes. I had puffy cheeks, which many of the rich ladies would call 'adorable'. My pink lips were thin, and none of my features were sharp or well defined; instead, I gave off a childish look. I wasn't good-looking, not really, but I wasn't ogre-like either.

I quickly slid into my denims and pulled on a spotted cream colored shirt. I reached into the pocket of the shirt I had previously been wearing and brought out a small piece of paper. I smiled at it. It showed a photo of my family, before my dad disappeared. It fit right into my palm, but I could make out our features. Rienna was missing her front two teeth, and I had wind blown hair but a lopsided grin on my face. Mother's face was full of color. And my father looked as strong as ever.

I closed my eyes and shoved it into the pocket of my jeans.

Only a little while longer until I entered the Games.

 **Rose Clarke(14)- D9 Female:**

You know how in books people wake up all dramatic with sunlight streaming in? With their hair absolutely perfect and sheets beautifully made?

Yep. That was not true in real life.

 _Thud!_

My body hit the floor and I groaned. That certainly woke me up; no human could continue sleeping after falling two feet through the air onto solid ground. I heard a knock on my door, but wasn't awake enough to pick my face up from the pillow. I mumbled a "Come in!" but with my face in the pillow, it was incoherent. Nevertheless, I heard the door swing open.

"Oh, sweetie, what are you doing?" I heard my mother's voice as she slowly rolled me onto my back. I smiled sleepily up at her.

"Saying hello to the floor in a non-conventional way?" I offered. Mother chuckled and patted my shoulder. "Wake up sweetie, you've slept quite late. You wanted to meet up with your friends before the Reapings, did you not?"

I nodded, and pushed myself up with effort. I untangled myself from my sheets and grinned toothily at mother. She just laughed and ruffled my hair. "Come quickly, you should have the pancakes while they're still hot." She mentioned as she turned to walk out the door. I was still half-asleep as I made my way over to the washroom. I closed the door behind me and turned on the water. I splashed some in my face, and only when I fully woke up did I come to the full realization of what day it actually was.

Reaping Day.

My stomach turned a full one eighty degrees and I almost sat down. I felt slightly dizzy, and my mouth went dry. This always happened when I thought of Reaping Day. The most dreaded day of the year. For other people, they only had a fear of not being Reaped, or not having someone they loved Reaped. I had the same fear, obviously, but it wasn't just that. This day brought back horrible memories. The sounds of screams.

So many people in these districts shared the same story as I. I knew for a fact that the girl from Six last year had a sister who had gone into the Games before her. So many people every year lost one of their family members. I was just another one of those people who had to live every day with the emptiness of one member of the family missing.

It had been quite a while ago. I didn't even remember who had won those Games. But my elder sister Saye had been reaped to go in there. I was only Ten, she, Thirteen. She was weaker than most of the tributes and too sweet to hurt anybody. I remembered screaming as I said good bye to her in the waiting Room.

I also remembered my parents screaming as her cannon blew in the bloodbath.

I hadn't been allowed to watch those Games. I had to stay in another room with my little brother, but I could hear my parents' cries and I put two and two together. I knew my sister wasn't coming back.

From that year on, every year on Reaping Day, I would watch as another Saye got Reaped. Another girl with a family. Another girl who would be killed. I saw my sister in all of them. I only could hope I never had to see my own face up there in the sky of the Games.

I forced my breathing to even out. I couldn't freak out even before the Reapings. I glanced in the mirror and told myself the one thing I would always tell myself.

 _Put that smile back on, Rose._

I could see the corners of my lips curve up in a small smile. It was forced, obviously. But sometimes a forced smile would eventually give away to a real one.

I realized that if I kept smiling, I felt slightly less horrible after Saye's death. My family had a hard time after her death; emotionally. Mother wouldn't talk for weeks, and father became distant. My little brother Rayon didn't know what he was going on, and all he did was act stupid in an attempt to try and cheer people up with his childishness.

But seeing his ridiculously immature acts, I realized one thing. If you kept smiling, your mind hd an automatic tendency to shut out problems. I kept trying to aid Rayon in his stupid acts of cheering my parents up, and it eventually started working. They became closer to us, and started talking more, and before long, we came back to as close as possible to normal with one member missing.

Obviously, I still had the fear of Reapings Day. That wouldn't go away anytime soon.

I freshened up and headed out the door, only to open my closet. We weren't the richest to go around, but we weren't dirt poor either, unlike some sections of the district. I felt a pang of sympathy at remembering the state of the people there.

I had a choice of clothes to put on, but I knew what I was to wear. I always wore the same thing on Reaping Day. It was my sister's outfit, the only one that fit me. I never understood why I liked wearing it, but somehow, nothing else fit the day.

I quickly changed into it and stole a glance in the mirror to fix my hair. I had dirty blonde hair which went to my shoulders, and complimented my dull blue eyes and pale skin. I was very thin, frail, even. I stood pretty short for my age at 5'6, with a slouch that made me seem shorter. I shrugged at my reflection as I set down my brush.

I walked out of my room and till the dining room, but as I took sight of the food laid out on the table, I could feel y stomach turn again. I didn't have any appetite. None whatsoever. I looked at my parents who stared back at me with worried looks. "Sorry, I'm just not too hungry. I have to rush, though, don't want to miss my friends!" I called in what I hoped was a convincing manner. My parents didn't look too convinced, but I was already out the door.

I lied about both the things. Sure, my friends were lovely, no doubt, but I didn't want to meet anyone as of now. I just kept walking to the place where they held the Reapings.

I would say the place looked alive with people, but I couldn't. It looked deader than a corpse. People talked in hushed whispers. I could feel the worry as it rippled through the atmosphere. Parents reassured their children. I noticed a group of friends to my side as they cracked half-hearted jokes, but even their laughter was laced with anxiety.

I stood in line to get my finger pricked, but I was fairly far back. As I watched the boy whose turn it was get his fnger pricked, he flinched. The boy was younger than me, and it was probably his first Reaping. However, seeing him flinch like that sent the thing around as I jumped a little, bumping into the person behind me. I turned to see a boy standing there, of about seventeen. He looked familiar, with his dorky grin, and it took me a moment to place his face.

"Aren't you Rienna's brother?" I asked, recalling the quiet girl from my class. I blushed almost immediately. I was never comfortable talking to strangers, or even people I didn't know completely. However, my curiosity had gotten the better of me. "I'm her classmate." I explained, not wanting to seem too creepy.

The boy nodded and his smirk grew wider. "Yes, I would be. Rienna didn't tell me she had such pretty classmates, though." He remarked. I could feel my cheeks grow brighter red, as he laughed jokingly.

"Relax, I'm joking, kid. I mean, not about the me being her brother part, I am her brother." His eyes widened as he realized his folly. "I mean, not that… I wasn't trying to…" He sighed and chuckled. "Yeah, never mind. Slightly nervous, are we?" He asked, referring to my earlier action. I sheepishly nodded.

"I guess so…" I told him uneasily. Something dark flashed over his face, but he quickly put on his smile. He didn't even bother telling me it would be fine, because how could he really? No one knew whether or not someone else would be fine.

I hadn't realized I had reached the counter until the lady roughly asked for my finger. I gave it to her and couldn't stop another flinch as she took my blood. I smiled at Rienna's brother, whose name I couldn't recall, and walked away to my section.

Our escort jumped up onto the stage, and I almost laughed at her ridiculous outfit. Bubble had on the same dress she had last year, which could barely be called a dress. It symbolized…well, a bubble. She started off on some strange speech about how glad she was about the treatment given to her here, but my heart was pounding so hard, I couldn't hear anything else. I hoped to everything above my name wouldn't be called.

She went over to the boy's bowl first. She took her time, picking out a name, and finally brought out one slip of paper. She walked over to the microphone and read it out.

"Trenton Harvest!"

A cry went up from the boy's section, though I couldn't tell what age group. probably a younger one though. My heart filled with sympathy for the poor boy who made his way out and started walking.

"I Volunteer as Tribute!"

I gasped, along with many others. Who would possibly be out of their mind to try and volunteer some something as cruel as these Games!? Was it done to save this kid? I highly doubted that, nobody was that selfless and careless about their life. But all thought abandoned me as I watched the said volunteer mount the stage. My jaw fell open. Why had he volunteered!?

"Ooooh, isn't this just exciting!? A volunteer? What may you name be, young boy?" She asked, smiling at him. He was obviously still shaken up, but he pasted on another smirk. He shot her a flirty grin and said something to her, which made her blush, before speaking into the device held out to him.

"My name's Russell Grove, and…" his voice trailed off. His smile fell as his eyes landed on someone in the crowd. I realized he was looking at me section, more specifically, looking at his sobbing sister. He looked like he was about to say something else, but he slowly shook his head to himself and handed back the device. Bubble seemed confused as to what happened, but she made her way over to the females bowl. I had barely gotten over the shock myself, as she pulled out another paper.

"Rose Clarke!"

My heart jumped into my throat.I couldn't even move. No... NO! This couldn't be happening...

I felt tears streaming down my face before I even knew what was happening. I couldn't control myself. I simply fell to my knees and cried. I knew the whole country was watching me, but I couldn't stop my tears.

I felt rough hands wrap around my arms as I was dragged onstage. I couldn't even speak because of my tears. I tried catching myself and saying something, but one glance at my family, and I broke down again. I could feel the sympathetic look my district partner gave me, but I wasn't thinking about that.

I barely noticed as they herded I to the waiting room. I wiped furiously at my eyes, trying desperately to pull myself together.

Come on Rose, put on your smile...

I tried to calm down and smile, but failed miserably. I almost hit a wall in my frustration.

"DAMMIT!" I yelled. I surprised even myself. I was usually a calm and quiet girl, but being Reaped had put me over the edge. I couldnt stand the thought of going into the horrors of the Games. I couldn't stand the thought that my parents might have to watch me in the same thing which took away my sister.

My family came in first. As expected, my mother was sobbing hysterically, and my father looked close to tears. I could tell he was keeping himself together solely for mother's and Rayon's sake.

"I can't lose you too, Rose, I can't!" Mother cried as she hugged me to her chest. I couldn't say anything. What could I tell them? That I would try? To win? I was unskilled, young, weak and probably naïve. I wasnt meant for the Games.

"Rose, sweetie, look at me." My father said softly as he turned me to face him. "I know you're thinking of Saye right now. We all are. What I want to tell you is... don't. Don't think about her Games. Don't let that bring you down. You stayed positive when we broke down, continue that positivity." He pulled us all into a hug.

The Peacekeeper burst in to inform us, but we didn't focus too much on him. My little brother Rayon gave me one last look. "I love you Rosie..." he said softly, as though afraid someone else would hear him. I finally managed a smile. "You too, Rayon... you too."

I could feel the absense as my family walked out. I knew my friends would walk in moments later, but for now, I just recalled my family's faces. Sure enough, my friends walked in a few seconds later, hugging me tight and telling me they believe in me. I didn't want to hear them talk, I just wanted to be near them. But my mind kept comin back to one thing.

Every year I would see Saye in some other girl.

This year I saw her in me.

 **Russell Grove (17)-D9 Male:**

I readied myself for what was about to come.

My mother didn't even say anything. She simply rushed into the room and engulfed me in a hug. I could hear my sisters softly crying, as my mother hugged the life out of me. I tried for some corny joke but nothing came to mind. I was still slightly dazed. I had actually done it. I had actually volunteered.

I shoved the thoughts out of my mind. I wanted to spend this time with my family.

Mother pulled away with a broken expression. Not crying, not wailing. She seemed broken glass, and that was so much worse.

"Why?"

I forced my heart to stay in one piece. Who knew how that one word could carry so many emotions? It felt athough she was tearing me inside out with that one syllable.

"I can't keep living like this Mom! I know you work hard, and I respect that so much, but if I win this, you won't have to ever work again!" I told her, my eyes tearing up. I blinked the water back. She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off.

"No, Mom. Please. I want us to be rich. I don't even care if that sounds conceited, because I want you to have agood life without staying out of the house the whole day working. I want to be surrounded by sturdy walls, and not some rickety shack. I want Rienna to live the life she deserves. And if that means I need to win the Games, then so be it." I said, shutting my eyes towards the end.

My mother leaned down and gave me a kiss on my forehead. she smiled at me, which was not something I was expecting. "Russell, as long as I have you two, it doesn't matter where I live or how much work I have to do. But you want a better life for your family, don't you? Well, I know my son. And I know he isn't a quitter." She wiped the sole tear that ran down her cheek. "I know you'll come back to us. Any mother would be proud to have a son like you." She managed. Rienna came forward and pulled me into a hug too. She didn't say anything, and I didn't expect her to.

"Hey, save the tears Rienna, you're go in to have to shower them out of happiness if I come back."I said, finally coming up with a stupid joke. Rienna pulled away and looked at me with the most fierce gaze I had seen from her.

"Not if. When. When you come back." She said.

Mother gave me one last hug before they turned towards the door. They turned back around to give me another look.

Then they were gone.

I felt the slap across my face before I even registered she'd come in.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, clutchingmy cheek, looking at Pandona. "What happened to the nice quiet girl?" I asked.

"That was for actually doing it." She told me firmly. I knew her eyes were red, but she was holding it together for me. I smiled. "I'm a man of my word, my lady." I bowed down for the fourth time today. Pandona cracked a smile despite herself. "A stupid one at that." She said. Her expression darkened.

"Russell... I..." her voice faltered. I took her hand in an attempt to comfort her, but even I could feel the lump forming in my throat. It was hard trying not to cry. I didn't regret my decision, obviously, but seeing my best friend in tears was not something I liked.

"Hey, I don't like seeing that face without a smile." I told her in an attempted jokey manner. She looked up at me. "You had to do it, didn't you?"

I nodded. "I have to try, Pandona. I have to. I can't keep seeing them suffer like this. Rotting away in poverty. Mother's almost frail from exhaustion, and then I see the rich people, the victors, and I want that life for my family too. I want them to have all the riches they need. And besides..." I paused, wondering whether I was actuall going to say this or not.

"Besides?" Pandona prompted. I sighed.

"Even if I don't succeed, it'll be one less mouth to feed."

I had it coming, really, the slap that I felt.

"Ow, jeez, what is with you!?" I Cried again. Pandona glared at me. "That's for saying crap like that." She said. I managed a laugh, which quickly died out. "I'm going to try, Pandona, I'm not suicidal. Don't worry." I told her. I expected her to say something snarky back, or tell me how stupid I was, but she did something that surprised me even more.

She pulled me closer and pressed her lips to mine.

It only lasted a moment before she pulled away. I was too shocked to say anything.

"I don't want the Games to turn my best friend into some kind of monster."

I managed to gather my wits enough to speak.

"I'm going into these Games for my family. To give them the life the should have. Turning into a monster is a small price to pay for that."

~. ~. ~.

 **A/N: Yes, I'm alive. Who would have known?**

 **I should tell you guys that there will probably be weekly updates from now on. I know, I know. But new school started and once again I find studies being murderous. But I promise to try and update every week.**

 **Okay guys, I don't know if this will sound bad or make me soundlike a horrible person, but I have noticed a stark reduction in the number of reviews and views overall. Now, please don't think I'm trying to be offensive or anything, reviewing is up t you, and I cherish EEVRY SINGLE review. I'm not complaining, really, I feel honors having the number of review I do. But if there is anything lacking in my story , do tell me! I know my writing isn't as mature or good as many authors out there, But II'm always open to suggestions! And if the story's boring, I assure you, Reapings are only for three more chapters. I'm not asking for a review for every chapter, but do tell me somehow that you're still reading. It's very encouraging. :)**

 **Okay, I sound conceited and weird.**

 **Um, seriously though, I don't mean to be annoying or offensive, and if I was so... I'm sorry. I'm so awkward in these matters, and if I was in any way offending someone, trust me that wasn't intent.**

 **But aside from that, how was this chapter? How'd you like these two? Either one you liked better? What do you think will happen to these two in the Capitol!?**

 **Lemme know what you thought! You guys are awesome, 183 REVIEWS SERIOUSLY!?. every review makes my day, really. :")**

 **Until Next Time Then,**

 **Wizard**.


	13. District Ten Reapings

**District Ten:**

 **Reapings:**

 **Aviva Stark (15)- D10 Female:**

I steadied my foot, careful not to fall. I knew my tongue hung out in concentration,which probably made me look childish, but I had bigger problems to worry about right now. I stretched out my hand, feel in my forearm muscles stretch as I reached for the fruit in front of me. My fingers curled around it and I tore it from its roots.

"Aviva, hurry up, would you?" My best friend Alec whispered loud enough for me to hear. I glared at him as I tossed the mango to our third friend, Maddox. He easily caught it and threw it in our basket. He looked up at me meaningfully.

"That's enough Aviva, we should get going now..." Alec called out again, sounding slightly nervous. "Your father would want you back at the shop before the Reapings," he added. I rolled my eyes.

 _My father would want me caged and in a pink frilly gown_... I thought bitterly. However, I knew he was right. We needed to get going. I nodded and started climbing down.

Fortunately, I was fast.

Unfortunately, in my haste, I didn't see the weak branch where I tried to step. The thing snapped under the weight of my body, and moments later I found myself freefalling, clutching wildly at thin air

I landed hard on the ground and a loud yell escaped me. Alec and Maddox scampered over and pulled me up, trying to see whether or not I'd gotten hurt.

Once over the shock of the fall, I realized I wasn't too hurt at all. I hadn't fallen that far, now there was merely a throbbing in my back. I was about to assure them, when we heard the yelling.

My eyes went wide as they met Alec's.

"Run," he said calmly and authoritatively. We were in no condition to argue. I could hear the owners of the orchard come closer, demanding to know who we were. Alec yanked me up, glaring at me hard in the process. If we were caught stealing on Reaping Day, it probably wouldnt be too good.

Our feet thudded against the green grass as we ran for the wall. I could hear the curses and shouts of the people who owned this place, but there was no way they'd catch up to three fleet-footed teenagers.

My back still hurt because of the fall, but I tried not to let it bother me as I reached the wall. Alec easily grabbed me and tossed me up, obviously not wanting me to strain myself too much. As sweet as the gesture was, I couldn't help but feel bitter. I wasn't weak. The fall had simply made my back throb, it didn't break any bones. I was still perfectly capable of climbing up myself.

Tearing my mind away from these thoughts, I leapt off the other side and waited as Alec and Maddox jumped down after me. "Come on!" I yelled out as we made a beeline for our butcher shop.

Now, before anyone judges me as a kleptomaniac, or a good-for-nothing thief, let me stop you. I was neither. I was stealing these mangoes because the season was almost over, and these were the mangoes in the district. And... well...

I couldnt help but harbor the small flicker of hope inside me that if I brought these mangoes to my father, he would finally be happy with me. He would be pleased with someone I did, and would give me that smile I was always searching for.

I stopped in front of our shop and turned to my friends. Alec was panting hard while Maddox looked a little confused. "Aviva, you're going to get yourself killed one day, and with the rate at which things are going, that day isn't far!" Alec added his traditional glare to his words. I smirked at him.

"Relax, Allie, we all know I'm flawless, and Flawless people aren't caught," I joked, punching his arm lightly.

"Yes, we all know how my flawlessness has influenced you two, no need to mention it again," Maddox grinned cheekily. Alec rolled his eyes. "You two seriously need to grow up," he muttered.

I flinched. Alec caught my movement and looked at me funny, until I smirked again, trying not to show how deep his throwaway comment had sunk. "Alright now, you guys run along. We'll meet after the Reapins, yes?" I said as I started shoving them away. "Fine, but next time, we get a share of the loot." Maddox grumbled. I simply laughed and gave them a final shove before picking up our basket of mangoes and turning to our door. I took a deep breath and threw the door open with a forced grin.

"Dad, I'm home!" I called out, looking at my father behind the counter of our butcher shop. The back of the shop was our home, attached to this little shack. He looked up at me with an expressionless face.

"What's that?" He said, monotonous. I tried not to let it get to me. Instead, I put on another smile and placed the basket of mangoes on the counter. He looked at it and raised an eyebrow. "Mangoes! The season's almost out! I picked them myself,"I announced. He stood up and examined the mangoes, his face softening.

"That's considerate of you, Aviva." He said slowly. I broke into a genuine grin, but it was short-lived. For right then, his expression hardened again and he gazed at me.

"Where did you pick these from, exactly?" He asked, suspicion dripping from his tone. I gulped before looking away. "Um, from the Crawfords' orchard... "I supplied.

"And did you have permission to do from the Crawfords?"

My father took my silence as an answer.

He sighed. "Aviva... why?" The tone wasn't sad or angry. It was disappointed. As though I would always continue to disappoint him.

"Is this what we've taught you? Sometimes I think we would have been luckier to have Rowan as our child, instead of you. At least Roman knows how to uphold the family's reputation, unlike you, who has taken it upon herself to ruin it."

Each syllable was like a knife digging into me. I could feel the tears in my eyes.

"I'll always be a disappointment to you, won't I?" I asked, my voice breaking. I hated this, I hated crying. But even I had limits.

"Unless you change your ways, yes. You will. But more than that, you'll shove in our faces how terrible our upbringing is."

That drove me over the edge.

I looked at my father with pained eyes.

"You know what Dad? Every time, I try doing something different to impress you, to see that sliver of a smile directed towards me, but it never works, does it? You're never happy with the way I am. I know you would've rather had Roman as a son, but maybe you could at least try to love the daughter you already have!" I was yelling by now, "All I think about is making you happy, but now? I'm done, Dad. I'm so freaking done. If you can't accept me the way I am, don't. You want to spend your life pining after a son you never had, let me tell you this. You'll miss the opportunity to love back the daughter you did have."

I could feel the tears on my cheek, and I hurriedly wiped them off. I hated crying, especially in front of these people. My father seemed stunned by my outburst, but in all honesty, he had it coming. I dashed past him, into our house, startling Roman who seemed to be coming towards the shop.

"Aviva?" He called out, but I ran blindly to my room and smashed the door behind me. I simply stood there, forcing my tears back, my nails digging into my palms. I grit my teeth, trying my hardest to get over what just happened.

It didn't work.

How does someone get over years of verbal abuse? Every time I did something, I would be told how stupid I was, how reckless, how annoying and how I worthless. How I could never be the son they wish they had in Roman. How my parents would always regret ever having me as a child.

I tried everything. I got good grades; then I tried getting bad grades. Neither worked. I got into trouble; I helped people out around the district. No dice. I tried helping out around the house, but I would always make some small mistake, and that would start the string of insults. Nothing I did seemed to please my parents.

I was what they called a rebel child. I honestly didn't want to become a rebel. Y parents wanted me to stay cooped up and help around the house, while I loved the outdoors. I loved hanging out with my friends Alec and Maddox. I loved causing harmless mischief, and I loved adventure. My parents didn't see that. They spent way too much time lamenting about why they never had Roman as a son, that they never got time to even closely look at the daughter they had.

A knock sounded at my door, startling me a bit. I already knew whose voice it would be. Only one person in this household cared about me enough to come after me.

"Aviva? Open up," I heard Roman, sounding both worried and anxious. "Go away Roman," I called back. Moments later, I heard the knob turn and the door opened. I groaned, looking at him. He sighed. "Aviva, what happened this time?" He asked, more concerned than exasperated.

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. They'll never love me the way they love you. I bet if I get reaped, they'll rejoice that the burden is off their shoulders," I spat. I didn't want to believe it, but something told me it was true. Roman looked down, before coming forward and pulling me into a hug. I buried my face in his chest.

This was what I loved about my cousin. His hugs were never out of pity or sympathy. He didn't treat me like some weak damsel who couldn't help herself. His hugs were just to tell me that he was always there for me, even when no one was.

He pulled away, and smiled. "Hey, the Reapings' in an hour. How about we accompany that pretty face with a pretty dress, eh?" He wiped the remnants of the tears off my cheeks. I managed a choked laugh, but I knew he was right. The only way to get my mind off my parents was to put my mind to something else. I gave him a reassuring smile, telling him I was okay. I knew he could see right through it, but he didn't push it.

He looked uncomfortably at my closet. "Uh… you need me to take out your dress too…?" He turned a light shade of pink. I genuinely laughed. "No, get out now. I'm getting ready," I said as I turned him around and shoved him out. I closed the door and locked it, turning towards my closet. My mind threatened to wander off to my parents again, but I forced it to focus on something else. Which was hard, because girly things like dresses weren't exactly my favorite thing.

I threw open the closet door and brought out a simply blue dress, which reached till my knees. The thing was plain, but comfortable; just the sort of thing I liked. I hurriedly brushed my hair and pushed it into a high ponytail. I stole a glance at the mirror while doing so. The dress complimented y sandy blonde hair nicely, and brought out my bottle green eyes. My eyes were almost too big for my face, but I always joked that that was the reason I was always so alert, and nothing could sneak up on me. I had full lips and an upturned nose, which wasn't all that uncommon in Ten. I wasn't gorgeous, but I looked pretty nice today. I smiled at my reflection, and headed out the door.

I looked at Roman. "I'm going to the Reapings with my friends, so I'll meet you there, okay?" I asked as I slipped on some black flats. Roman gave me a small nod, while I shot a look towards my parents. They had an unsettling expression on their faces, one I couldn't quite decipher.

Then, without waiting for them to shower me with more unflattering comments, I ran right out the main door, greeted by the pleasant outdoors.

 **Raul Silvus (18)- D10 Male:**

My feet thudded on the treadmill as I upped my pace. I could hear my friends groan beside me. "Raul, if you go on that thing any longer, you're going to lose your legs. Then we'll have to lug you around," Jesse shot at me. I looked at him and smirked, not allowing myself to pant, or show any sign of exhaustion. However, I could feel the tiredness taking over me. I hit the stop button and the treadmill slowed to an end.

I jumped off and swiped the bottle from the table beside where I was working out, taking quite a few gulps of water before answering. "If I lost my legs, I'd rather put a bullet through my own skull than be dragged around like some helpless old sot." I told my friends. Alaric cracked a smile, but Jesse looked slightly displeased. I pushed past the and put my fists on the ground, and smirked up at him before starting a round of push-ups.

I didn't see Jesse come up beside me, and certainly wasn't prepared for what he did next. He kicked out my hand from under me, and I landed hard on the ground.

I groaned and turned onto my back, glaring at Jesse. It was now his turn to smirk. I rolled my eyes and propped myself up on my hands, then my feet. "Yes, fine, I'll end it now," I grumbled. Jesse smiled triumphantly, as Alaric handed me my towel and bottle.

I poured some water on my face and shook my head, getting rid of the extra water. I wiped my face and hair with the towel, before heading off to the showers. I didn't exactly want to be seen outside all sweaty and smelly from my time in the gym. I took a quick shower and changed into dry clothes, before heading out. I threw my gym clothes in a bag, and heaved it over my shoulder.

Contrary to popular belief, District Ten wasn't exactly as poverty-ridden as the other outer districts. We had expensive amenities, but they could only be afforded by the rich. Which was a category I _definitely_ fell in. And since we had the amenities, it only made sense to enjoy them.

I picked up the book I had been reading from a table, and shoved it in Jesse's hands. He took it with a grunt, and gave me a skeptical look. "Seriously? This book? Isn't this the one where The main dude fails to save the country and gets blown up by the bad guy?" He asked, clearly disapproving. I grinned and nodded.

"I've read it a few times. I love the ending, to be honest. How the antagonist wins, then decides all of this is useless and not worth his time," I declared. Alaric looked at me strangely. "That sounds like a weird plot…" he said. I shrugged. " I don't care. As long as the antagonist wins, I'm fine with it. The protagonist winning is overrated and cliché."

Jesse rolled his eyes, while Alaric just smiled and shook his head. I took another swig of water from my bottle, and turned to the doors. I pushed them open and headed out, greeted by the cool air of District Ten.

"So you aren't nervous, at all?" Alaric asked, as the three of us headed home. I shook my head. "Why should I be? My father's a high ranking official, and we've got distant relatives who work in the Capitol. I have my name in there less times than a few twelve year olds in Ten. And you shouldn't be nervous about being Reaped either, you're the son of the mayor," I assured him, patting his back. Alaric smiled.

We turned into an alley, which we had to cross to reach the road which led to our homes. No sooner had we done so, than I bumped into someone, who cursed.

"Watch where you're going, idiot," the boy threw at me, glaring as he tried to pick up his bag from the ground. I stood my ground as I took him in. The guy was taller than me, and obviously poorer, what with his lanky frame and worn-out clothes. I sneered.

In a flash, I picked him up by the collar and smashed him against the wall. "Raul, don't," Jesse warned, but I paid no heed.

" _I_ should watch where _I'm_ going? Did I just hear you say that?" I snarled in his face. His expression, earlier one of disdain, had now transitioned into one of horror and anxiety. He tried shaking his head, but I was holding him to the wall by his collar, which didn't put him in a position to do so.

"Have you seen your clothes?" I taunted as I picked up his sleeve between my index finger and thumb. The thing was dusty, and I could see the hurt in his eyes. "Have you seen your tattered bag? And have you looked at me?" I pointed to my expensive shirt, and ran a hand through my hair, while throwing him on the ground.

"Who should be telling whom to watch their step, kid?" I sneered again, letting him know his place. He didn't say anything, just stood there, looking pained. I grinned. Now he knew where he stood. Alaric reached out and handed the boy his bag, before turning to me with sad eyes. He looked back at the boy firmly. "Go," he ordered. The boy didn't wait to be told twice. He skittered away, looking at the ground as though it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Really Raul? You're really going to taunt every single person we see who's not as rich as you? With the amount of money your parents have, that's a lot of people," Jesse groaned, shooting me an exasperated look. I shrugged.

"They need to be shown their place. You don't just bump into me and then tell me to watch where I'm going. Not unless you're worthy of my respect. And that kid looked like he needed to work the whole day to even get dinner for his family, so who is he to talk to me like that?" I brushed off the dirt from my shirt. Alaric looked at me strangely before he stepped forward, walking ahead. I rolled my eyes. It was the same situation every time. I would taunt some useless slog, Jesse would shoot some snarky reprimanding remark my way, and Alaric would be disappointed.

I didn't see why I was so wrong. I was as rich as I was because my father was rich. And he was so because he worked hard for it. Earning that amount of money took skill, and he put hard work and effort into it. We had earned every penny of what we had, and so we deserved respect.

And those poorer people, well, they were so because they deserved that. If they had more skill, or talent, they certainly wouldn't have been so poor. Extraordinary talent was always awarded, and they didn't have that. That was the reason they didn't have money, and by extension, my respect. I was proud of y wealth, and I had good reason to be. And since the poorer people were below my standard, I found it fun to show them their place.

I liked telling them how I was richer. I liked shoving the truth in their face. I may not have been the most pleasant boy, but not everyone was an angel. Not everyone was all goody-goody and kind. Some of us were humans.

This was why I hated books in which the protagonist won. All they showed was that a good nature and good qualities lead to victory. Well, tell that to all the victors of the Games who won by slaughtering their opponents. They were in no way kind, or merciful. But they won. Sure, there were a few exceptions, but that was what they were. Exceptions. That meant they didn't usually happen.

I looked over at Jesse and Alaric, who were walking ahead of me. People sometimes confused me for being misanthropic. I didn't hate people. I just thought they all were where they were because they deserved it. If you were poor, you deserved to be so. If you were in prison, you deserved that too. If you were rich, it was because you earned it.

Alaric was the son of our mayor. And our mayor was a good chap. He was honest and genuine, and he actually cared about the district, instead of just wanting to shove money into his pockets. Alaric inherited those qualities, and was probably the kindest of out trio. Jesse, though not as rich as us, was still pretty well-off. However, what made me respect him was his wit. He was the only person who could outwit me, and our friendship was based on mutual respect.

I could see my house in front of us, and nodded at my friends before heading inside. I would try to be modest and say my house wasn't too big, but that would be downright lying. My house was freaking grand. The living room itself was adorned with a huge chandelier. My room was the size of a small house of the poorer section of Ten.

My father was probably not even at home. He was working outside. He wouldn't even be there for the Reapings, but I wouldn't say I missed him. He worked hard to maintain our status, and I looked up to him.

I didn't waste time. I went straight to my room and shut the door behind me, looking at my bed. I smiled, finding what I expected. The servant I had ordered earlier had probably been listening, because now lay on my bed, ironed and ready, my most expensive suit. It was navy blue, with a white shirt. The material itself was extremely pricey, and the design was more so.

I quickly changed into the suit and turned to the mirror to fix the tie. The suit went well with my brown hair, which I had brushed to one side. My tanned skin was complimented by my light brown eyes, and the pride in them was only heightened by my stature. I stood pretty tall at 5'11, with a stocky build from working out daily.

I turned to the door and opened it, only to be greeted by my little sister. Yara looked pretty sweet in her purple dress, and her brown hair was tied up in a nice ponytail. She shifted nervously. "Um, I was thinking, maybe we could go to the Reapings together? I mean, I know you want to go with your friends, but…" her voice trailed off. I knew she was scared about her first Reaping. She didn't have to be, of course, her name was in there once. But it didn't really matter. I may not have been the nicest person, but I did care about my sister.

I gave her a small smile. "Eh, nonsense. Alaric and Jesse can find their way to the Reapings. I think I'll go there with my pretty little sister instead," I told her, turning her towards the door. She smiled up at me before we headed out.

The place where they held the Reapings was a short walk from my place. The walk there was silent, because neither of us knew what to say. It was true I loved my sister, but we didn't interact too much. Yara was pretty much my polar opposite. She liked people who weren't worth her time, and was tolerant towards almost everything.

I waited impatiently in the line as we reached the Square. I wasn't exactly a fan of waiting, but we had to follow protocol. In the meantime, I snuck a look at the assembly of our mentors. After Kay's death last year and our newest victor, this year, we had both young mentors. Kimi Canterstein was dressed really nice today, I had to admit. She was one of the better victors I knew. She had killed people in her Games, but she hadn't gone batshit crazy and mindlessly slaughtered everyone. And neither had she sulked her days off after her Games.

I looked over at Colt Marshal, the newest victor and our newest mentor. I didn't really know what to make of the guy. He seemed nice enough, and I knew he came from a fairly well-to-do background. He was obviously stinking rich now that he was victor, and he was also very obviously trying to follow in Kimi's footsteps and leave the horrors of the Games behind. But it could be seen in his broken smile, though. The fact that he wasn't yet fully healed on the inside.

However, I didn't see the specialty in the guy. I didn't see why or how he won. If that girl from Seven hadn't taken that knife for him, he would've been toast. He wasn't exactly Victor material. I didn't care if that sounded rude, but it was the truth. I sure hoped he didn't mentor me.

I got my finger pricked and went to stand in the eighteen year old Boy's section, but I was so busy looking at our mentors, I drowned out our escort's speech. Erythros was. Relatively cooler among the mentors, but I wasn't about to pay attention. However, when he began walking over to the girls' bowl, I perked up.

"Aviva Stark?"

A sound of disbelief came from the fifteen year old section, before a girl emerged, clearly trying to look tough. I recognized her. She was famous for causing small mischief around the district. She made her way up to the stage and refused to look at anyone. Erythros must've understood the situation for he didnt ask her to say anything.

He walked over to the boys' bowl and picked out a name.

"Raul Silvus!"

WHAT!?

That couldnt be! I couldn't be Reaped! I had my name in there so few times! I stood rooted to my place, unable to move from shock.

Moments later I could feel strong arms grip mine as the Peacekeepers tried to drag me to the stage. I tried to pull myself free, and even though I was strong, they were stronger. It took me mere seconds to realize the futility of my actions. I let myself be taken onto that stage.

I gave Erythros my best glare, even though I knew it wasn't his fault. He didn't ramble on, and simply backed away to give us space as we shook hands. Aviva was trying to put up a tough exterior, but I could see it cracking. I scoffed, after she turned her back to me.

I let myself be ushered to the waiting room. I could only hope my father would come.

I got my answr soon enough. The door was opened to reveal my sister and father. Yara was crying, and my father looked tired. As though he was done with everything. Yara ran forward and tackled me into a hug, taking me by surprise. My sister never hugged me. We barely had any interaction, so knowing she cared this much... well, it was a good feeling. I hesitantly patted her back.

"You have to come back, okay? The house won't be the same without you. You're all I have, because Dad's always at work, and Mom's dead," she sobbed. I looked pleasingly at my father, who just gave me a pained look. Right. Very helpful.

"Hey, Yara, have you seen me? I'm pretty well built and I can hold my ground in a fight. I'm not going to be taken out that easily." I assured her. I wiped her cheeks and looked at my father again.

"Raul... I know I haven't been around too much, lately, but... "his voice broke, "you should know I love you. And I don't think I can lose you after your mother." He held out a ring, ivory from the looks of it. "Here. This was hers. Use this as your token." I took the ring and barely slipped it on, when the Peacekeeper was in our room, telling us our time was over. I looked at my family once again as they headed out, finding my confidence crack slightly as I pondered the thought of never returning to them.

I quickly shook my head. That was the thoughts of a weakling. I was strong, and clever enough to survive. Alaric and Jesse were next, unsurprisingly.

Alaric looked awfully close to tears, while Jesse just looked mad. Like he could tan someone's backside.

"Woah there dude, I'm the one that got Reaped, and you're the one who looks murderous."I said, holding my hands up. Jesse glared at me, anger wining over his usual snarky demeanour.

"Listen to me. I'm not going to be all sappy and emotional aand waste this time. You have the advantage of sponsors. People will naturally assume Colt's district will proud good tributes, and with a little flattery, you have the sponsors sealed. And your district partner is feisty and stealthy, from what I know of her. She can be helpful," I took in what he was saying, knowing this would help. Jesse sighed, looking at me with the same expression my father had. His next words sent a chill through my bones.

"Dont let your pride be your downfall."

 **Aviva Stark (15)-D10 Female:**

I wasn't going to cry. I bit my lip in an attempt to hold back my tears. I was dreading this. This was the time we met our family, but the last thing I wanted right now was to meet my parents and hear more insults. They would probably find my mistake in being Reaped as well.

Thankfully, my first visitors were my best friends. I ran forward and threw my arms around Alec and Maddox, who hugged me back with equal intensity.

"I can't believe this!" Maddox yelled after we pulled away. "You'rd going into the Games!"

I almost laughed. "Yes, Maddox last I checked, I was. No pressure though," I tried at a joke. Alec spun me around to face him.

"Listen to me Aviva, and listen good. Don't you dare start thinking of what flowers you want on your coffin. Don't you freaking dare. You're strong, and your fleet-footed. That's good enough to escape from trouble," Alec advised. I found myself hanging onto his words, eager to cherish this moment with my friends. "And find allies. Lots and lots of allies. Your district partner seems strong enough, start with him. More Allies mean more people watching your back."

I nodded as Maddox patted my back. "You can do this Aviva. Above all, you have your determination. Don't lose that."

I nodded, and they gave me another brief hug before heading out. I hoped that wasn't the last time I saw those two. I had been pretty successful till now in not crying, but as the door opened again, the struggle to keep the tears at bay intensified.

Roman pulled me into a tight embrace. He didn't say anything for a moment, just stood there. After what felt like an hour, he pulled away. He looked straight at me. "Aviva, your parents are outside, but they weren't sure if they wanted to talk to you with me in the room or not. They'll come after-"

"No," I cut him off. "I don't want to meet them. I've had a bad enough day without more of their insults."

Roman looked unsure. "Aviva, your parents may just want to say Goodbye."

I snorted. "Guess what, Roman, they already did. A long time ago. They haven't cared about me all these years. I don't want to hear their pretentious goodbye, just for the crowd."

"Maybe-"

"NO! Dont try to defend them, Roman! Just dont. Maybe if I win this thing, they'll finally be happy. And don't worry, even if I lose and die, it'll be a good riddance for them."

Roman grabbed me by my shoulders tightly. "Dont ever say something Like that again. You want to win? Well, I know you have it in you." He bent down to my level, wiping away a rear I hadn't known had broken the barrier and fallen. He looked right into my eyes, more intensely than I'd ever seen.

"Wanting to win for your parents is a good enough reason. But you should want to win for yourself. Because Aviva, you don't live to impress anyone. You live for yourself."

~. ~. ~.

 **A/N: Yes, I know. This update is dreadfully late and I deserve a kick to the face. I apologize sincerely for this, and I promise I'll update quicker. I would gotten this chapter up a long time ago, but I couldn't. Since I made you guys wait so fanned long, the least I can do is give an explanation.**

 **So, I had gone on a vacation ffor a while, and it was in the mountains, so I had no WiFi. I had only one spot where WiFi was available, and most of the time I was outside in the mountains themselves. Then I returned and wouldve updated, but my laptop broke down. I still really really wanted to write, so I ended up writing this on my phone. However, just as I was about to save it, the phone shut off and I lost it all. Now, I've gotten my laptop temporarily fixed, and have updated.**

 **I'm so sorry once again for the delay. Trust me guys, I really am. Like I've said, I'm never abandoning this story, but there will be times when the updates aren't too quick. However, I'll try to update as fast as possible.**

 **But all that aside, we're in Colt's district! Only two more Reapins to go! How was the chapter? I'd like to thank Wincestcher and Josephm611 for these two tributes. I apologize if the chapter wasn't good. I've tried my best, but I feel my skills are slightly rusty. Don't worry though, I'm trying to get them back on track.**

 **What did you think of these two? What do you think they'll do in the Games? And what kind of mentor do you think Colt will turn out to be? Lemme know your thoughts! I do seriously love each and every single review you guys give me! And 204 OH MY HOLY LORDS I CANNOT BELIEVE IT LIKE WHAT!? I seriously never thought this story would get such a positive response.**

 **I really apologize again for the delay, and I prooms to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. :)**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard**.


	14. District Eleven Reapings

**District Eleven:**

 **Reapings:**

 **Twyla Cherry (16)- D11 Female:**

I ripped another cherry off the bush. I threw it into the basket by my feet and glared up at the person standing beside me. The man was in charge of this area of plants, and he'd assigned me the job of picking berries, instead of the job I wanted.

I looked towards the people in the trees, picking the mangoes and apples. I didn't even care how high up it was, I knew that's where I wanted to be. Instead, I was stuck here, picking these stupid berried while the in-charge stood over me, monitoring my every move to prevent me from running to the trees.

"Twyla, grumbling and groaning isn't going to get you that job. This is your job, and if you don't want to lose it like you did your countless others, you'll shut up and continue working." He ordered. His gaze softened. "Look, it's only your third day on this job. Try to get accustomed, okay? You're pretty hardworking, but don't let your attitude ruin it for you." He said.

I rolled my eyes. "Sweet-talk isn't going to get you anywhere, sir. You and I both know I am fit for the job I wanted, and I don't know why you insist on keeping me here!" I could feel my volume rising. A little voice at the back of my head told me to stop, it told me that this guy was my senior and that I could get kicked out of the job for this, but I ignored it.

"Twyla…" His tone was one of warning, "Need I remind you I'm your boss?"

I laughed. "Boss, yeah, totally. You'll keep a bunch of nitwits on the job I wanted instead of me. Some boss you are," I scoffed. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"That's it, Twyla, your job is over for today. You'll come back tomorrow and by then I hope you'll have learned how to speak to your seniors. I'm giving you another chance, so don't repeat this," He told me, turning on his heels. I groaned and stomped my foot.

"Hey, Twyla, you okay?" I heard one of the other workers ask me. I glared at him. "Am I lying on the floor unconscious? Am I bleeding in buckets? No? Then I must be okay, which shows absolutely no need for you to be asking this question," I snapped. The boy reeled back, surprised at my cut-throat response.

"Woah, okay, take it easy. I was just concerned," he held up his hands in surrender. I shrugged. "Well, don't be. I don't know you, and therefore you should neither care nor be concerned about me. And if you're looking to make friends, then _back the hell up_."

The guy seemed to be shocked into silence, and I took the opportunity to make a getaway. I didn't bother bringing the cherries back to the main office. Someone else would do that. For now, I was pissed off enough to punch anyone who tried to cross paths with me.

The walk till the locker where I kept my clothes was filled with silence. I could see the looks people were giving me. _The creepy, angry girl._ That's what they called me. I knew what they said behind my back, and I didn't even try to stop it. Why would I? I could care less about what they had to say. So, instead of trying to stop the rumors, I ignored them. If someone so much as looked at me, they'd be treated to a glare.

A girl was leaning against my locker when I reached. I could tell she had just arrived, from the spotlessness of her uniform. Usually after work we all were sweaty and covered in dirt. Hers was free of all that.

"Excuse you, but that's my locker," I said curtly. The girl smiled brightly up at me. "Sorry! It's just, I'm new here, and I just got here, so I was a little confused, and-"

"You know," I cut her off, "I would count how many craps I give to what you're saying on my fingers, but you can't count a negative value."

The girl opened her mouth, then closed it, seeming confused as to how to react. I rolled my eyes. "Let me spell it out for you. I… don't… care… There. You got that? Now please move, and let me go home, because I have to get to the Reapings, and I'd rather not have my butt whooped because some girl was too cheerful."

The girl hesitantly moved away from my locker, and I grabbed my clothes and headed to the bathroom. It took me less than a few minutes to change into my regular clothes, and I threw my uniform into the locker once I was out. I could feel the cold looks of people on my back as I headed out, but I didn't let it get to me. If I spent all my time on people who bothered me, then I'd be wasting it.

Yes, I wasn't exactly a people-person. In fact, I disliked people in general. One never knew who to trust. The people outside Eleven usually regarded Eleven as a well-knit district, but only the ones inside Eleven knew how it really was. If one can be betrayed by their own family, one can be betrayed by anyone.

I stopped in my tracks as Granger's memory came flooding back to me. I could feel my eyes grow moist, despite my willing them not to. I missed him. I missed his red hair, his sweet smile, the way he would giggle at the smallest of things I did.

I missed my little brother.

The sound of footsteps drove me quick out of my reverie. I perked up, listening carefully around me. I was in a small alleyway of sorts, if I could call this that, and everyone knew what kind of people lurked in alleyways. I stifled another groan. I really didn't want to be dealing with this crap on Reaping Day. I hated taking this road to my house, but I was in a hurry and decided against my better judgment to take this shortcut. I guess I was going to be late anyway.

I turned around in the direction of the footsteps to be greeted by two boys, walking my way. They seemed to be unsteady on their feet, and I really didn't want to know what they'd been ingesting. They seemed to be a few years older than me, and lanky. One of them offered me a crooked grin.

"Well, well, looks like we have a pretty lady over here. Say, sweetheart, you cant be carryin' around that bag with nothin' in it, can ya'?" his voice was raspy, and his words slurred together slightly. I narrowed y eyes at him and gave him my hardest glare. He must've figured I wasn't a helpless damsel, for he slowed down his movement towards me.

"I'll say this once," I warned, "Eff off. I'm seriously not in the mood for any of this crap, so leave me the hell alone."

The second one laughed, his voice almost as terrible as his state. "Oooh, feisty. I s'pose we'll have a bit of fun getting that bag from ya', eh? See, honey, in a district like Eleven, we gotta strike up every little amount of money we can get," He explained. They were barely two feet from me now, and I clenched my fist, tightening my grip around my bag. I wasn't carrying much, of course, but I didn't want to lose anything to two nutcases in an alleyway.

"So, sweetheart, let me just…" The first of the two reached out towards my bag. His eyes were away from my face, and towards the item he wanted, and I took that as my cue.

I lashed out with my free hand and grabbed his wrist, snapping it back with full force. I could almost feel his wrist sprain, maybe even break, and he cried out in agony. His friend was too surprised to react, and I took the chance to knock his feet out from under him. The guy could barely stand as it was, and with my force, he went down easy. His head hit the ground and his eyes rolled back into his head as he passed out cold.

His friend had recovered from the shock and apparently hadn't learnt his lesson. He came at me, swinging his fist in a very helpless and unsteady way. He was both slow and dazed, so I managed to duck easily. I jabbed my elbow into his back, and he fell forward. He managed barely to steady himself, but when he turned around, I knocked the air out of him with a well-placed kick. He fell to the ground, beside his companion. I glared at his form.

"Don't call me sweetheart," I spat.

I turned and took off, running as fast as I could. I wasn't going to be late for the Reapings, certainly not because of two idiots.

My house wasn't too much of a distance from the alleyway, and I reached my doorstep pretty fast. I rang the bell continuously, even though I knew Mum hated this.

"Twyla, how many times do I have to-"

"No time, Mum!" I called back as I rushed into the house when she finally managed to open the door. I could hear her say something after my retreating form, but I ignored her. I almost always did. I flew into my room and shoved close the door. I needed to get ready fast. It wasn't that I cared too much about my appearance, but this was one day when almost everyone looked their best, and I didn't want to stand out like an odd rat. Why everyone tried to look their best, I didn't know. True, they'd be broadcasting us on national television, but if you weren't reaped, no one would bother looking at you. And even if you _were_ Reaped, being from District Eleven, The Capitol and everyone else would probably be pondering how you would die mercilessly at the hands of a psychotic career.

I shook those thoughts out of my head as I opened my closet. Granted, I didn't have many fancy dresses seeing y lack of enthusiasm when it came to such things, but I knew the dress I would wear for today. I pulled out my dark red blouse and a black flared miniskirt. I quickly threw them on and turned to the mirror to do up my hair. My mother had insisted yesterday that I wear my hair in a bun, and even though I sincerely didn't care, I decided a bun wouldn't go too bad with this outfit.

I pulled my dark red hair into a tight bun at the back of my head. My light complexion brought out the blue in my eyes, which also went well with my hair color. I wasn't gorgeous, of course, but I looked average. I was of an average height and build too, if I had to say so myself.

I exhaled, satisfied with my appearance and opened the door, only to be greeted by my mother. She stood in front of my father, and both had the we're-going-to-give-you-a-lecture-you-probably-don't-want-to-hear look on their faces. I groaned yet again.

"Twyla, we just want to say… this is your second last year. And just…" My mother sighed. My father managed a small smile, which I met with a glare of mine.

"We just want to say, it'll be fine for you. And that we love you. You don't have anything to worry abou-"

"Oh yeah?" I cut him off. "I don't have anything to worry about? I beg to differ, really. I have just as much of a chance as anyone else in this district and I know I've taken out tessarae. And what, are you telling me you _love_ me because you're thinking you might miss your chance if I got Reaped?" I could feel my volume rising with each syllable. My father got a pained look on his face.

"Don't say anything, Dad. Just don't. I don't know what you're trying to do, but if you're trying to say a proper goodbye in case I get reaped and die because you don't want to miss your chance like you did with Granger, you're wasting your time," I could feel my throat choke up at the mention of Granger.

I didn't wait for them to say anything. I didn't want to walk with them all the way till the Reaping square, so I pushed past them and ran to the door, throwing it open and letting the cool air greet my face. I stomped outside, not wanting to face _anyone_ at the moment, and started walking towards where the Reapings would be held, not being able to let go of the strange churning feeling in my stomach.

 **Caz Rigby(18)- D11 Male:**

"Hey Caz, careful with those man, we have to place them well," Grist yelled out to me as I gently lowered the peaches one by one into the crates. I smiled up at him.

"Relax Grist, if I didn't know how to do this, I wouldn't be in this job, for so long," I assured him. These peaches were going to be delivered to some big-shot's place in the Capitol, so we had to place them carefully and as well as possible, and in such a way that not even the ones at the bottom would get spoilt before it reached there.

Grist grinned back at me. "Sorry man, you know I get a little nervous around this stuff," he explained. I nodded and went back to leading the box. I knew I had to be careful. When this box would go for a final inspection, it needed to be flawless. I would get a good amount of money for this, but it needed to be perfect.

Well, obviously, y idea of a good amount of money was probably negligible to the richer people, but I was happy with even a slight increase in wage. The job I had was kind of strange, simply loading the boxes, but since the Capitolites were so particular about the arrangement, they needed someone to do this well.

I stood up, the last of the crates arranged. I carefully put the lid on the box and walked over to where John and Grist stood, waiting for me. "Finished early, yeah?" I asked, patting John's back. They laughed. "Yeah, not all of us have the job of beautifying a box of peaches for the crazy Capitol people," John answered.

I laughed, knowing they were correct. "Hey, it pays good money, so I don't really care," I justified. John's face turned serious, as he asked the question I was dreading.

"Everything okay, right?"

I forced a smile. "Yeah, don't worry. We're doing good," I told him. It wasn't exactly a lie. We were doing well. We weren't starving to death, and we hadn't fallen into any sort of trouble with anyone, so I considered us in a better state than a lot of others in Eleven.

"Hey, have you guys seen Carmelita?" I asked, turning towards them. Grist grinned at John cheekily, earning a playful roll of my eyes. "She's over in that café." Grist answered. I nodded, eager to see her. I turned on my heels and went the other way, wanting to meet Carmelita before the Reapings.

I pushed open the door to the café and walked in, spotting her at the side. I smiled and began walking over to her, when I stopped in my tracks.

"Caz!" She exclaimed, sounding both relieved and happy to see me. She ran over to me, away from the two young Peacekeepers who were trying in vain to get her attention. I bit back a sigh. This was becoming a regular routine nowadays, and I honestly didn't know how much longer I could keep my cool.

I didn't even know the two men who walked over to us. They had their helmets off, but their uniform on. Smirks decorated their faces, both directed towards Carmelita.

"Damn, Rigby, do you even know what a prize you've gotten yourself? I mean, hell, she's a frickin' beauty, if I say so. And I don't say that for everyone," One of them commented.

"Gentlemen, Carmelita is my girlfriend, and I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about her as though she was an object," I stated firmly. Carmelita pulled herself closer to my side, and I wrapped my arm around her waist.

I hated it when these men said such vile things about her. She deserved to be treated with respect. Not just her, any woman did. And these people just talked about them as though they were trophies or objects.

The one who had spoken chuckled. "Well, if she can get herself away from you for even a little while, she's free to come to us…" they sneered, reaching out and running a hand down her shoulder.

I reached out and grabbed his wrist in a firm hold. He eyed me, eyebrows raised, wondering if I'd fight him. I couldn't deny I was fighting the urge to do exactly that. This man had no right to touch her, regardless of his position. He smirked at me, knowing that if I fought him here and now, I'd be thrown into prison for offense, and Carmelita wouldn't any longer have me.

I could feel Carmelita take my other hand in a tight grasp, telling me through her actions to keep my cool. Her touch sent a warm, calming feeling through me, and my vision cleared of the red I had been seeing. I exhaled softly.

I smiled and let go of his hand, pushing it back slightly, so he was away from my girlfriend. I let out a forced chuckle. "Well, it was nice talking to you. I hope the service was good, wouldn't want this nice little place to get a bad name, would we?" I added a small wink for good measure. "Now, Carmelita, shouldn't we be going? I told my family I'd be home before the Reapings, and I'd say we've found ourselves to be sufficiently late."

Carmelita smiled at me as I nodded at the Peacekeepers, who seemed a little confused by this turn of events. Without waiting for them to get over their shock, the two of us headed out as fast as we could. I wasn't lying when I had said I needed to get home before the Reapings.

My house wasn't far from the café, and we walked in silence, hands clasped tightly together. I was growing increasingly accustomed to the previous situation, which wasn't a good thing. Many people in the district eyed Carmelita, and I found myself extremely lucky to have her as my partner.

I loved her with all my heart, and I knew it was reciprocated. I wasn't jealous of the other men trying to get her attention, because I knew she loved me. I was worried, because I didn't want anything to happen to her if I wasn't there.

There was no denying she was gorgeous. Dark skin, full lips, and ageless features, with luscious dark hair cascading down her back. But I didn't love her for her looks. I loved her for her personality. She was supportive and kind. She didn't see the fact that I had to support an entire family on my own, and she didn't seem to mind the fact that she wasn't the only priority in my life. She always gave me courage when I needed it most, and she understood my situation.

My front door appeared in front of us, and Carmelita raised her hand to knock. Within minutes, the door was unlocked by my little sister, Charzie. I smiled kindly at her as I ruffled her hair. She had on a sweet-looking dress, and I knew she was putting on a brave face. But she had to be scared, this was only her second Reaping. She saw Carmelita behind me and beamed.

"Hi Carmelita! You look amazing!" She commented, looking at her dress. Carmelita laughed and kissed her forehead. "Well, someone's got to keep up with you, don't they? You look beautiful," She said, cueing a blush from my sister.

I turned to go to my room, nodding at my parents, who were having their breakfast. They smiled up at me through worried glances, but I shot them a reassuring grin.

I found myself in my room, and took out what I wanted to wear for the Reapings. Carmelita waited outside as I quickly changed into a dark brown shirt, which was slightly tight, and rolled it up to the elbows. I slipped into a pair of corduroy pants and opened the door for her to step in.

She smiled at my outfit. "You look classy," She commented. I shrugged as I picked up a comb to brush my curly brown hair back. My hair went with my light brown skin color and dark eyes. Carmelita took the brush from me as she started brushing my hair back.

"Only five more years, then we can have all of this of our own," I told her softly, "We could have our own little family."

She nodded. "I know, Caz. I'm waiting eagerly for that day too."

I sighed. "I wish you didn't have to. But…" I paused, closing my eyes, "I have my family to take care of, and I can't abandon them. I have to wait until Charzie is safe from the Games, before I pursue any of my dreams. Because until then, the entire responsibility rests on my shoulders as the oldest child."

Carmelita lifted my head. "Caz, why are you saying this? I will wait for you. You know I will. I know you want to wait until Charzie's last Reapings are over, and even if it takes ten more years, I will wait. All I want is a family of my with you, but I know how much your parents and siblings mean to you. I have my own parents and siblings. But we have each other. And it doesn't matter how long we have to wait as long as we do."

I smiled and leaned in to softly kiss her. I pulled away moments later as I remembered we were getting late for the Reapings.

I headed out of the room to find my family waiting for us. Bran was holding Charzie's hand tightly, and y parents were standing behind them. I once again found myself smiling at them in a way that I hoped assured them nothing bad would happen to them.

The walk till the Reapings was silent , except Bran's feeble attempts at a joke. I decided as an older brother, I should support him a little, and I aided him as much as I could, forcing a laugh even if the joke was incredibly lame.

It didn't take us long to find our way into our sections. My finger throbbed a little from where the lady had taken my blood, but now, the escort took my attention away from that. Radiance looked stranger and stranger with each passing year. Last year her theme had been a butterfly, and this year, she seemed to be some sort of bird, with giant pink wings and a feathery pink dress. I didn't pay much attention to her appearance, though, just held my breath as she walked over to the girls' bowl. I prayed that the name she took wasn't Carmelita's or Charzie's.

It wasn't.

"Twyla Cherry!"

It only took a moment before a girl shoved her way out of the sixteen year old section. Her entire demeanor was angry. Her pale skin and piercing blue eyes made anyone within a five yard radius take a step back. Even Radiance didn't offer her the mic when she glared at her. the escort just silently made her way over to the boys' bowl.

"Um, Caz Rigby!"

I froze. A cry escaped my lips before I could do anything, as the crowd around me parted as though I was suddenly something untouchable. Their eyes didn't see a human anymore. They saw a corpse.

A thousand thoughts flooded my mind as I tried stepping out. I fought to keep the tears at bay. How could this happen!? I had a whole life ahead of me, a family I needed to take care of, and a family I wanted to build. I looked to see Carmelita standing shell-shocked in the crowd as I made my way up the stairs, and the tears threatened to flow again. It was with difficulty that I composed myself. I constantly reminded myself that I had to look strong, at least for the sake of my family.

I simply shook my head when Radiance offered to hand me the microphone, and turned to shake the hands of my district partner. Her grip and her gaze were both cold as ice, her eyes boring into me with the glare she gave. I avoided her as much as possible as I found myself being ushered to the waiting room.

My family was the first to visit me. My mother came in crying as she flung her arms around my neck. My father too had tears in his eyes and so did Bran, as they both comforted Mother and Charzie.

"Oh my gosh, how could this happen!?" My mother wailed, clutching me close, as tightly as she could.

"Caz, I'm… I-" Bran seemed to be at a loss of words, but I cut him off. I pulled myself away from my mother and grabbed him by the shoulders. I fought back my own tears as I looked right into his eyes.

"Bran listen to me. If I don't come back," I was broken off as Mother let out another wail, collapsing into my father's arms, "If I don't come back, you have to promise me to help Father. You'll be the oldest child then, and you _have_ to take care of Charzie and Mum," I hated burdening his fifteen-year-old self with such a task, but I needed to take care of my responsibilities before I became emotional. Bran seemed to be in a turmoil of emotions, but he managed a nod.

"Caz, you have to try to come back to us! You can't give up!" Charzie exclaimed, hugging me tightly. Bran joined her, probably our of his initial shock. I gripped my little siblings tightly, hoping this wasn't the last time I held them.

"I will. I promise I'll try. But in order to come back I need to know you guys are safe. And you're my courage. So you need to be brave for me, okay? Be brave for me," I repeated, smiling at them as best as I could.

I embraced my parents once again. "Not just them, Mum, Dad. I can't have you guys breaking down either," I said, my voice wavering. I wiped away the tears I hadn't known had fallen, feeling a little humiliated that I had tears running down my cheeks while the younger girl who had been Reaped with me had on an expressionless face when her name had been called.

It seemed like moments later that the Peacekeeper barged in, yelling in our faces that our time was up. I barely had time for another hug before they had to shuffle out.

I already knew who the next visitor was.

Carmelita came in wiping furiously at her eyes. She threw her arms around my neck and pulled me into a deep kiss. I didn't want to let go of her, but she pulled away after a while. Her cheeks were moist, and I knew she was holding back a torrent of tears for my sake.

She took off her own golden necklace, and hung it around my neck. I peered at it, looking at the beautiful golden star dangling from it. She looked into my eyes. "Caz, when you're in the arena, this'll remind you of me. I want you to look up at the stars above, and know that I'm looking at those same stars, waiting for you to come home."

I felt a tear run down my cheek as I pulled her into a tight hug. She whispered her next words into my ear.

"I'll wait forever if I have to, but I will wait for you to return to me."

 **Twyla Cherry(16)- D11 Female:**

I kicked the chair as hard as I could. I cried out in pain as my foot made contact with the wood, which only made me more frustrated. I felt like screaming, but that would be taken as a freakin' 'act of offense' for these stupid Capitolites.

I was beyond angry that I had to go into the Games. I wasn't about to sob. I was about to tan someone's butt with a tree branch. That someone being a capitolite, perhaps.

I wasn't looking forward to the goodbyes. I really wasn't. The last people I wanted to meet right now were my parents. I was seething, and they weren't doing anything to help me.

As If on cue, door was opened to let my parents in. I bit back a cry of anger.

"Oh, Twyla!" My mother sobbed as she ran in. She pulled me into a hug, crushing my ribs in the process. I tried squirming out of it, but she was stronger. Se sobbed into my shoulder.

"We can't lose you too! Not after Granger!" She cried.

That snapped me out of it.

"Don't you dare say his name!" I burst out. She stepped back, startled by my sudden yell. My father looked pained. "Twyla, please, don't-"

"NO!" I screamed. I could feel my resolve breaking. My eyes saw red. "You don't deserve to say his name."

"Twyla, this is hard for us. We'd can't lose anothr child!" My father pleaded. "You can't give up on us!"

"Lose them!?" I laughed bitterly, "Dad, you didnt _lose_ Granger. You freaking _killed_ him!"

"Twyla, it was an accident, your father was at no fault. We've discussed this!" My mother countered. I snorted. "Oh, yeah, _Accident_. You werent there, Mom! You were never there! I saw what happened! He could've saved Granger, and he didn't!"

The knock on the door by the Peacekeeper told us our time was almost over. I was glad for That. I really wasn't enjoying this one bit. Both my parents had tears in their eyes. Without a warning, my father pulled me close, into a tight hug. Momentarily, I lost focus because of surprise. I found the sense of fatherly love for a moment, but Granger's face in front of my eyes drove that out, and pushed the anger in. My father, however, pulled away before I could push him away. He didn't say anything, just ushered my sobbing mother away, his cheeks stained with tears.

I breathed in and out, trying to straighten out my mind. My former best friend came in next, but all she did was say a few encouraging words and tell me chess things like she would miss me. I barely paid her any attention and after a while, she just gave me a small side way hug and left.

I couldn't let any emotion get the best of me now. I had to win this thing. I was no stranger to death. I had seen someone die in front of me when I was a child. I just now had to watch twenty four others die in front of me as well.

I just hoped I could pull through it all.

~. ~. ~.

 **A/N: Here I am again with yet another super late update! I really would've updated earlier, but my laptop conked off again, and for the last few days, I havent been too well. I was really weak and I decided I needed a break. I apologize again for the late update, but I really hope to update sooner!**

 **Anyways, I hope this chapter was good! Like I said, I'm really not good with romance, but with a little help from my friends I tried my best. I quite love both those characters because they contrast each other so well. Thanks to Red Roses1000 and TranscendentElvenRanger for Twyla and Caz!**

 **How was the chapter? Did you like these two? What Do you think will ne the district partner interaction? How do you think these guys'll fair in the Games?**

 **Lemme know your thoughts! Thank you so much to whoever has reviewed! We're almost done with the Reapings! I'll try to get the next chap up asap!**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard**.


	15. District Twelve Reapings

**Reapings:**

 **District Twelve:**

 **Cherokee Esmeths (16)- D12 Female:**

I patted my friend Ashley's back as she sobbed. Beside us, Mauve rolled her eyes and smiled, shaking her head. I shrugged up at her, knowing this was a routine. Cinder just huffed, as she waited impatiently for Ashley's episode get over.

"Who is it this time?" I asked, vague enough not to get her boyfriend's name wrong. She changed the guy so often, it was hard to keep track. She wiped her eyes and sniffed. "Raven. I-I saw him… yesterday… with some other girl," She burst into more sobbing. I narrowed my eyes.

"Hold on, are you saying this idiot chose some _other_ girl over my best friend?" I just about growled I could feel my temper rising. This was simply not done. I set my jaw hard as I waited for Ashley to answer. She meekly nodded, before tearing up again. I exhaled slowly and stood up.

"Cherokee, no. I know what that look is and I'm not going to let you do this. You can't go around threatening people just because they didn't like your friend," Mauve said firmly, holding my shoulder. I blinked at her.

"Mauve, he didn't just threaten any girl, he threatened Ashley. My best friend. And it's the number one rule of being a friend that you kick the butt of anyone who hurts your friend," I countered. Mauve looked like she was going to argue, but I simply laughed, throwing my head back. I patted her shoulder gently. "Relax, will you? I'm not going to eat him, I'm going to _talk_ to him. Give him a piece of mind for hurting my best friend."

I could tell she didn't want to, but she nodded gingerly. Cinder had simply lost all interest in our conversation and was looking at her reflection in a small handheld mirror. She looked flawless, of course, she always did, but I knew from experience that telling her that would be of no use. I looked over at Ashley.

"You have any idea where Raven could be?" I asked. Ashley nodded slowly. "He usually hangs out with his friend near the back entrance of the school after it gets over," she answered, wiping her eyes.

"Well, cheer up, Ash, we're going to… um… tell him things!" I improvised, shooting a nervous look at Mauve.

"Honestly, Ash, you're gorgeous, I don't even know what you saw in him," Cinder spoke for the first time. Ashley seemed confused as to how to respond to that, and before she could decide, I grabbed her hand and pulled her along in the direction she'd specified.

It didn't take us too long to find them. In a fairly quiet place, the sound of a bunch of teenage boys wasn't hard to follow. We found them leaning against the back fence, as large as bloody life, chatting up a storm. They shot me a look and quieted down in the slightest.

"Um, hello? Someone here who's clearly giving off a We-need-to-talk vibe?" I gestured to myself, drawing their attention. The boy with pitch black hair in front looked over and raised a brow. His gaze flitted to Ashley and he huffed in annoyance.

"Oh my God, Ashley, how many times? No, okay? It wasn't true love or any of that crap. It was a little thing, and I decided I don't want to be with you. No offense." Raven told her, as her lower lip started quivering.

"Okay, first of all, that is totally offending, mister stupid, and second of all, you don't just break someone's heart like that, okay? Especially not my friend's. That girl there? She's freaking flawless. She's kind, and sweet and caring and pretty and basically everything that an amazing person comprises of. You'd have to be stupid to not see that, but I'm guessing Stupid is like, your middle name," I took a deep breath, as the boy in front of me furrowed his eyebrows.

"Sorry, was that too many words for your tiny little brain to comprehend? I'll say it slower, okay? Ashley…fabulous. You… stupid." I smiled, "Was that slow enough?"

I didn't give him a chance to respond. "Well, no need to say anything. By the time you say a comeup, uch less a good one, we'll be done with this year's Games. So listen to me, okay? And try to keep up. My friend here," I pointed to Ashley who was softly smiling through her tears, then turned to Raven, "Is a precious human being, and deserves a freaking prince. I have no idea what possessed her to like you, who cant see how lucky you are. And if I see her cry again, or even frown because of you, let me just say it wont be too good for you. I'm sure you all know who my father, and you do not want to mess with Cherokee effin' Esmeths. And you _definitely_ don't want to mess with her friends. Because if you do, I will put you on a bed in the hospital, in the painful way."

I turned around, only taking a moment to savor the speechless expression on his face, before I grabbed Ashley's hand and started pulling her away. I could feel Mauve smirking behind me. "Well, it may have been a little illogical, but the look on their faces was worth it," She muttered. I laughed, pleased most of all to see the smile on their faces, especially Ashley's. I hated it when anyone made my friends cry. Actually, I hated when anyone was a jerk to anyone, period. If you didn't like someone, you could stay away from them, or break it to them softly. There was no need to be an absolute git about it.

"Guys, I have to get home, you know how particular Dad is about the way I look at the Reapings, right?" I told them once we were close enough to my place. It was located right between the Reapings Square and the school, and the three of them passed it on the way to their houses. They nodded before each giving me a hug, and Cinder winked at me, telling me to go slay it with a bomb dress. I told her I certainly would, if I went into the Games. Then I would slay stuff. Otherwise, I would try to lay off murder.

I opened the door with the key I had, and strolled in, to find my father sitting on the sofa. He looked up from his newspaper at me with a smile, which seemed a little forced.

"Anything wrong, Dad?" I asked, wondering why he would look like that. It wasn't as though he was under pressure of me being Reaped, I had my name in the bowl lesser times than most of Twelve's population. Being the daughter of the mayor, I hadn't any need for tessarae.

Yes, I was the mayor's daughter. That almost immediately had someone cast as a spoilt brat who didn't care about anyone else. It took a while for people to think of me as a normal human being and not some plastic bratty princess. Obviously I still had some episodes, but that was only because some people were jerks. Had Raven apologized to Ashley and broken up with her nicely, I wouldn't have yelled at him. I cared about people and tried my best to be nice to them, but anyone being rude to anyone else for no reason was not something I liked.

My father walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder, which was the national fatherly symbol for we-need-to-talk-about-something-you-probably-won't-like.

"Cherokee, being the mayor's daughter, you have a reputation to hold. You cannot simply go around picking up fights with random boys because they made your friend sad. And you cant be making friends with absolutely anyone, you have to choose people-"

"Dad, enough!" I exclaimed, drawing his attention, "How did you get to know about that so quickly? Our house is barely a fifteen minute walk from school, and I sure didn't tell…" I trailed off as it dawned on me, and my father's guilty expression was further proof I was correct. "You've been having someone _follow_ me!?"

"Cherokee, its only for your protection!" He explained.

"I don't buy it, Dad. Seriously, I'm sixteen, and every time I become close with someone who isn't stinking rich, you can't take them away from me! I yelled at that boy because he was being an absolute git to Ashley, and he deserved it," I cried.

"sweetheart, I only want you to be friends with the best, and I don't want any… civilian influencing you to be disgraceful," He said softly.

"So what, you take them away, like you took Ryker away? You'll move to another district with me?" I yelled, almost immediately feeling bad as my father's face became hurt.

Granted, I didn't remember too much about Ryker, but I was still a little bitter about it. Before we came to Twelve, Dad had been posted in district Six. I basically grew up there, and that was where I met Ryker. It happened when we were very young, but it didn't matter to us, that much. We were really good friends, and over a while, developed feelings for each other.

People called it puppy love, and some even said we would get over it within no time, but we really did like each other. However, he came from a relatively poor background, which my father didn't approve of. He wanted nothing but the best for me, and being poorer, Ryker didn't fit that. He though he was influencing me, distracting me.

So he attempted every method to take me away. He changed all my classes, he put a Peacekeeper to watch me all the time, but we still managed to see each other. Then, when all else failed, he requested the Capitol to have him transferred to another district entirely, tearing me away from not only Ryker, but all my friends there as well.

But as I grew up, I knew he never meant me any harm. I sighed, seeing the hurt flash in his eyes.

"Dad, I know you want to protect me, but really, what will happen if I yell at one idiot for hurting my friend? What will happen if I hang out with someone who isn't stinking rich? It wont affect me, Dad. I'll still be the Cherokee you love. If anything, hanging out with only people who are posh will get me the label of a narcissistic self-obsessed unlikable brat," I ended, spewing out the most unflattering adjectives I could think of.

My father smiled, showing me the kind twinkle I loved seeing as a squirt. He wrapped me in a one-handed hug, and ruffled my hair with the other. "We'll take more of this later, but now you need to get dressed. I have to be present early, remember?" I nodded up at him, forcing a smile on my lips, but I knew it would take a little more effort to convince him entirely, but I was starting to get through to him. He sighed and pressed a soft kiss to the top of my head before pulling away.

"And don't worry, Dad. People are only going to change me if I allow them to do so, which will only happen if I'm not happy with who I am. And, not to sound self-appraising, but I don't think I'm about to do that anytime soon."

 **Jerry Mines(18)- D12 Male:**

I stuffed my books inside the locker and slammed it shut. God, this place was beyond frustrating. The dank walls, the idiotic teachers and the absolutely intolerable other students. I shouldn't even have been here, really. I didn't need all this crap. I mean, what would all this do for me ahead? The history of Panem didn't matter to me, and what in the world would I do with the rest of the other subjects?

I mean, I wouldn't be working or anything, so why did I need to know all this? My father had enough money for me to live a lavish style all my life, and even without that there was no way I would work down there in the dumps with those rats. And by rats I mean the others here in twelve.

I sighed and realized for the millionth time that I couldn't do anything about it. Goodness, even the laws of Panem were stupid. I hated this school and its people, but I had to attend.

I slung my bag over one shoulder and decided to make my way out of this insufferable hellhole. I began striding down the hall, but had only gotten a few feet before a door opened to my left and someone stumbled out, carrying a huge stack of books and papers. She, being the blind idiot she was, didn't look where she was heading, and pummeled straight into me.

"Oof!" I let out as I was knocked over and she fell to the side. Her entire stack of papers went flying in every direction, and the books fell on her head, and knocked her glasses off.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, while attempting to gather her books in one spot. But I wasn't about to accept some lame apology from some lame geek.

"Sorry!? _SORRY!?_ Who the hell do you think you are, huh? You knocked over my effin' bag, and all you say is sorry!?"

She looked up at me. "Excuse me, but I think the greater damage was mine. You have to merely pick up your bag, while I have to restack all these books and gather all the papers."

I couldn't believe this! This good for nothing low life was actually talking back to me!? I snarled at her and grabbed a handful of her hair, not really caring about the number of bystanders who were now watching us and did nothing to aid me. She yelped but I was bigger and stronger.

"Did you just argue with me? Don't you freaking know who I am? I'm an effin' _king_ , you understand?" I yelled in her face as she struggled. I bent down and picked up her glasses and held them up for her to see, and as she reached for it, I pulled it away from her. I threw it back on the ground and stomped on it, taking care to break the lens and the frame. The girl let out a cry as I shoved her down and stood up.

"Don't ever _dare_ to speak to me that way, roadkill," I spat as I turned to walk away. I could hear a teacher coming our way, calling my name, but I couldn't have cared less. Even if I did get into 'trouble', I didn't give a flying eff about it, and my Uncle could get me out of it without blinking an eye.

I just kept walking.

The streets of District twelve looked as disgusting and repulsive as ever. The grey asphalt like a colorless base to the surroundings, which were covered in a thin, translucent veil of darkness. Not many people were laughing and cheering, because they were either starving to death, or breaking their backs working in the mine.

The others who could afford some luxuries were relatively more colorful, but it only transitioned from a drab, dirty ash to some bland, dull colors, the area I was currently in now. The richer area of Twelve was a bit more lively, but sometimes they tried to make up for the lack of important life in the Seam and turned out to be annoying more than cheerful.

I didn't dislike people, as such. I just thought they were below me. And was I wrong? I mean, I deserved to be better than the others. I was clever, rich, and not to mention good looking enough to make most of the girls swoon, with my olive skin and defined features. I was the nephew of one of the richest men in the district, which meant I could do what I wanted to without worrying about the consequence. And I wasn't about to let that go waste, was I?

My house was only a small distance from the school, which was why my uncle didn't send someone to pick me up. And the walking would be good for me, not that I needed to get in shape. I made it a point to work out everyday and keep myself in good shape.

I slipped the key out of my pocket and unlocked the door, knowing for a fact my uncle would be at work right now. There were others in the house, of course, but I wasn't about to waste my time waiting for them to open the door. I headed for my room, not wanting to be late for the Reapings. Not that I cared, or anything, the people who were Reaped would just be some homeless slackers who would die anyway. But if I went late, I would have to stand near the back, with the Seam kids' repulsive selves near me. I shuddered at the mere thought.

I closed the door behind me, and went to my wardrobe to pick my outfit. I swiped through the expensive clothes I had and selected a dark tuxedo and a white shirt. I slipped into the bathroom to wash my face and felt the cool liquid against my skin as I did so. I looked up into the mirror and used the water in my hands to brush my hair into rough spikes. My dark hair went perfect with my olive skin and dark eyes. My face was well-defined and my cheekbones were chiseled. I looked pretty darn good, if I could say so myself. And I _could_ say so myself.

It didn't take me too long to slip into the tuxedo and I made my way out, only to be intercepted by my aunt and cousin. Seeing my cousin in her elegant beige dress, I smiled and pulled her into a sideways hug.

My cousin was pretty much the only person I cared about. My Uncle was relatively better than others because he paid for pretty much everything, while my aunt just managed the household. My cousin was the only person I cared genuinely about. That was probably because she didn't always try to change me. She loved me for who I was, and cared about me.

"Jerry, did you really have to wear the most expensive outfit you could find? We have this one for parties, not for the Reapings…" She said in her usual disapproving manner. I scowled at her.

"Aunt Clara, I will wear whatever I want wherever I want to. And why shouldn't I? All those scums from the Seam should see how much better I am than them," I shot back. My aunt sighed exasperatedly, but didn't say anything.

I headed out the door, with my cousin and aunt on my heels. Our house was a mere five-minute walk from the Square, like the houses of anyone of significance. I really didn't want to have to wait in line to get some blood taken from my finger. I mean, seriously? These people didn't so much as deserve my blood. Their filthy equipment touched the Seam kids, and now I was disgusted by the fact that it touched me. I glared at the lady, who ignored me. _Ignored_ me. ME!? I would've handed it to her right there, but the blood was taken and I had to move. I decided I didn't even want to see her face anymore.

I found my way to the eighteen year-old section and stood away from the people, not wanting their poor dirty bodies anywhere near mine.

The escort made me want to puke. Dielle was dressed in another neon jumpsuit, this one bright pink, and her hair was spiked in all directions, dyed a bright blue.

"Hello District Twelve! I'm sure you all missed me! I missed you all as well!" She exclaimed into the microphone even though no one confirmed missing her, which I'm sure no one did. She babbled on a little more, but I honestly tuned out. I mean, I really couldn't care less which two idiots were picked to go die in the arena.

However, a collective gasp rippling through the people pulled my attention towards the name called. I saw the Mayor standing up, his hand over his mouth to contain his emotions, but his eyes clearly glistening with tears. Then my eyes travelled to Peacekeepers making their way towards the sixteen year old girl's section and dragging one of them out. At first the girl limply followed, but as she was pulled into the open, she seemed to come to her senses.

She thrashed against the Peacekeepers, "My FATHER WILL HAVE YOUR HEADS FOR THIS!"

I almost laughed when I realized who she was. The Mayor's Daughter. What was her name? Chincumbee? Chipanzee? Eh, I didn't care. What's-her-name was just about thrown onto the stage, where she immediately ran into her Father's arms, who kissed the top of her head.

"Um, sweetheart?" Dielle prompted, as Cherokee pulled away from her father. The Mayor wiped at his eyes as Cherokee (so _that_ was her name) made her way towards Dielle. When she was offered to speak, she took a deep breath.

"District Twelve, I can't say I'm psychic, but I hope this isn't the last you'll see of me…" She managed.

I could tell she was keeping her tears at bay, but I couldn't get myself to feel anything for her. She was boring, prissy and weird.

However, this stuff had attracted my attention long enough for me to hear the male tribute's name.

"Jerry Mines!"

Did she just…

My mouth dropped open. I had been Reaped!?

I could feel my breathing speed up, until the truth hit me. Why in the world would I be sad?

I had nothing to fear, because none of the others could ever beat me! I mean, seriously, I worked out, I was handsome, and I was overall plain amazing. The sponsors would be all over me, and I would pluck the others off one by one.

With that thought, I ran out into the open , and made my way to the stage. The audience seemed a little surprised after the drama of the previous Reaping, but I had nothing to worry about, while this midget would probably die in the bloodbath.

"Well, I ain't happy to be speaking to you slimeballs, but I'll be giving you your first victor!" I yelled. Dielle seemed not to know what to do as I turned to a somewhat shocked Cherokee. I took the time we used to shake hands to take in her appearance.

I wasn't going to lie, she was really pretty. With high cheekbones and dimples, she had a natural sweetness to her face. Her dark blue eyes shone with unshed tears, and her dark hair was pulled back with a golden hairband, which was crowned with metallic flowers. I shook her hand firmly and let myself be ushered to the waiting room.

My Uncle rushed in, followed by my aunt and sister. He put his hand on my shoulders, looking sad for some reason.

"Son, I'm so sorry this happened," He said, pulling me into an embrace. I shifted uncomfortably, and waited for him to let go. He did so about moments later.

"Jerry," Linda cried as she hugged me next. I didn't mind her too much, even though I didn't get the tears on her cheeks. She stayed close to me much longer than my uncle, but when she pulled away, I asked the question I had been waiting to.

"Why're you guys crying?"

They gave me a strange look, as I continued. "I mean, I know I'm Reaped, but we also know I'm going to win in there, don't we?"

"Jerry, sweetheart," my aunt started, but I cut her off.

"No, seriously. Look at me. The sponsors'll love me. The only threats are the careers, and I'll squash them like gnats too."

My uncle seemed unsure, while Linda continued to look sad. My aunt gave me a somewhat reprimanding look, just as the Peacekeeper burst in to inform us our time was up. My aunt looked me right in the eye as the three started to leave.

"Overconfidence can kill just as violently as a knife, Jerry. Don't let it be your killer."

With that, she went out and shut the door behind her, leaving me alone.

Strangely, I didn't have any other visitors.

 **Cherokee Esmeths(16)- D12 Female:**

I wasn't going to cry. I wasn't going to cry.

I repeated these words over and over in my head as I waited for my family. I wouldn't see my father because he was the mayor and the mayor's couldn't see the tributes. But I could still feel the shadow of his embrace as he spoke his final words to me before I had to let go.

I stopped msyself. I knew what I was doing. I was giving up. I couldn't afford to do that. If I gave up now, ai would have less than zero chances of winning. I wasn't strong, and I wasn't skilled. The only thing I had were my brains and my words. If I could use those, maybe I had some hope after all.

I suddenly heard the door open and before anything else felt someone crash into me, sobbing and wailing. My younger sister, Alice. I hugged her back, hoping this wasnt the last time I would do so.

"Hey, hey, shhh..." I sputtered out as Alice pulled away. I tried for a smile. "Now, we don't want to get my outfit dirty before I go into the Capitol, do we?"

"I can't believe this happened! I'm going to lose my sister!' She cried. I was about to contradict her when Mum interrupted me.

"Alice, we are NOT going to lose your sister. Cherokee's coming back to us. I know she is." She said, giving me a firm look. I flung myself into her arms, and nodded.

"I'm going to try, Mum. I know I'm not strong, or skilled, but I have strengths, like everyone else. I have to overshadow my weaknesses with those very strengths," I declared. My mother pressed her lips to my forehead.

"Your Father asked me to tell you this, Cherokee. It doesn't matter what happens in there. Just know that we love you more than anyone will ever. And nothing, not even the Hunger Games will change that."

It was getting really difficult to hold my tears back, but I managed. Mum knew the Time was getting over, so she pulled the two of us into another right hug, before the Peacekeeper outside held the door open. I guessed the respect was extra for the Mayor's family, and I watched them head out, finding myself praying I would see them. Again.

My friends were next, but we didn't talk much. Ashley was a crying mess and Cinder seemed like she would personally punch through all the walls. Mauve was relatively more normal, but I could tell it wasn't easy on her either.

Seeing my friends made me sadder, but as they told me they believe I could do this, it only helped boost my confidence. Of course, it was still at a fair low, but it was better than planing the flowers I wanted on my coffin.

I wasnt strong. I was unskilled, physically small, mentally unprepared and a whole horde of my weaknesses. But if I had one strength it was my determination.

And I was determined to come back home a victor.

~. ~. ~. ~

 **A/N: HELLO! I'M ALIVE, I KNOW, SURPISING LOL.**

 **AND WE'RE. DONE WIT THE REAPINGS AMSMWKEDKNDKEW YEAHUSSS!**

 **I know this update is late too, but seriously. I've been really busy. I'm in a higher grade and nowstudies are whopping my butt. Also, I've recently gotten into graphics editing, and the Euro Cup is On. And I barely get time for these two things either because school. So here I am at four in the morning typing thus out, sleepy as eff.**

 **Sorry if this is a stinky Poopy chapter... I tried my best, but do let me know if there's any way I can improve, because I know that list is freaking huge! Also, how did you like these two? The last of our cast! (THAT RHYMES HAHAHAHAHAHA OKAY I GO TO SLEEP NOW JAHAHAHAHAHAHA) Whaddya think they'll do in the Games? I should mention that I do NOT share Jerry's views on people. I like people :) and am I sleepy. Yes. BUT SERIOUSLY LEMME know yourthoughts! :))))**

 **Seriously thoigh, your reviews are amazing. They seriously make me smile so hard people think I've just recently won a lottery, and I cannot believe the support y'all are giving me. Keep being awesome guys... :")**

 **I want to thank Reader Castellan and FlawlessCatastrophe for Jerry and Cherokee. These characters were Bawse, and Reader and Brooke, if I messed them up, I'm so bloopin' sorry... hope I wrote them well though...**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Wizard.**


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